Dynamite
by RYCBAR24601
Summary: What if Regina's interrupting Henry at the well during Welcome to Storybrooke had gone a little bit differently...what if the dynamite had been lit.
1. Chapter 1

So I am currently stuck in the land of writer's block on my other Once Upon a Time story, Danielle, but I'm close to getting back to it I promise. So I bring you this. Not sure if it should be just a one shot or continue. Let me know in the reviews. Also I say this a lot, but I write this stories to improve and feedback about how my writing can be improved is greatly appreciated. If you don't want to do that through reviews feel free to PM me.

I hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

The phone rang suddenly, its penetrating trill pulling Regina away from her murderous thoughts towards Snow White and back to the quiet Storybrooke street, and the interior of her Mercedes. She picked it up from where it sat in the center console.

The caller ID read 'Unlisted Number'

"Hello"

"Hi, is this Henry's mother?"

Regina couldn't think of the last time she heard that on the other line of the phone. Not since before Emma arrived and competition for the role entered her life. Before she received calls from the school if Henry was feeling ill or something notable had happened. But even then there was not a question. She was Mayor Mills, and Henry was her son, and everyone knew that.

"Who's asking" She answered, still slightly confused about the unlisted number.

"My name's Greg Mendel, the guy who crashed his car outside of town and I was out here hiking in the woods and he was by the white pine trail, and he was all by himself."

"Well what's he doing out there is he okay?" Her thoughts now completely on Henry, she should have known better to trust him with the two idiots and the woman who gave birth to him.

"I don't know he ran off, but he seemed a little upset and I thought you would want to know, that's all."

"I'm on my way." Regina hung up the phone, she had a new quest now.

She arrived at the side of the trail only 7 minutes later; who cared about speeding, and she was sure the Sheriff was probably occupied with something, although apparently it wasn't Henry. It didn't take long to realize that Henry was at the well, he always brought her there didn't he? But now he had dynamite and book of matches.

"Henry" she stepped out slowly, her hands raised as to assure Henry that she meant him no harm. Plus she didn't want to think about what would happen if his hand slipped and the match ignited the dynamite. "What are you doing?"

Henry turned around surprised to hear her voice, he hadn't seen her in days and was surprised to see she looked the same as ever. Neat and well dressed in one of her favorite black trench coats, she was in mourning after all. He shook his head, he had a task to do and it was important he saw it through, maybe it was right that she was here to see it done. Regina had always tried to do what was best for Henry, somewhere he understood that, now he had to do what was best for her.

"I'm getting rid of magic, it's ruining everything and you can't stop me."

"All that's going to do is get you killed"

Henry reached for another match, "You just say that cause you need magic, so you can cast that curse on me.

_Was that her only motivation?_ Surely not; dynamite and matches are not something that are to be toyed with, especially not by an eleven year old boy, regardless of his motives. She wanted him to put down the matches because he could get hurt, not because it would destroy magic, which she knew very well it wouldn't.

But just then Henry struck the match and lit the dynamite.

"HENRY NO" Regina screamed knowing what was coming, she dove towards him, wanting to protect him from the oncoming blast. She completely forgot that with a wave of her hand she could make the whole danger go away. Henry was only able to nudge the dynamite closer to the opening of the well before Regina had pushed him to the ground and covered his body with her own.

The explosion shook the ground violently as Regina clutched Henry and felt debris bounce off her body. It seemed to last for ages as if it were raining plaster and stone, although in reality it was only ten seconds before everything settled down.

"Mom, I think you can get off me now?"

Regina pushed herself up slightly and turned to see that half of the wishing well was in ruins, with rubble strew at least ten feet from where she and Henry lay.

She stood up slowly and extended a hand to Henry, "are you okay, are you hurt that was extremely dangerous what you just did." Henry just stared at her, "Henry are you hurt, can you hear me?"

"Yes I can hear you, I'm fine, but you're…" he pointed to right side. She twisted around to see three jagged rocks poking out her the ripped fabric of her trench coat.

"Oh my…it's no problem I have had worse." She said trying to put him at ease as she swayed uneasily on her legs which seemed to be themselves undamaged.

Henry lunged forward as if to catch her, "I'm fine Henry, really." She reached her hand up to her head which was now starting to pulse with pain, and found that it was damp. And upon removing her hand she found that it was red.

She looked up at Henry, and found him looking more pale that before. "You're not fine, oh God I'm so sorry."

"Henry it's nothing see." She reached down to her side and pulled out the jagged rocks one by one dropping them to the ground. Trying to hide her discomfort and slight worry that the rocks where much longer that she thought once they were laying on the ground. "You see I'm fine, but you need to get changed, you're all dirty now." She moved forward to take his hand before feeling black encroaching on her vision and stumbling to the ground.

"MOM!"

Henry knelt down at her sides "You lied to me again"

"What?"

"You lied to me again you're not okay, so what do I do?"

Regina tried to push herself up again but found that she black moved in on her the more she tried to move so she settled back begrudgingly to her place on the ground. "Just stay and talk to me."

"How about you talk to me?"

"What?"

"Talk to me, tell me a story like you used to, until help comes."

"Help is not coming Henry."

"Someone must have heard the explosion, they will come and find us."

Regina smiled, Henry did always believe that a hero would come and rescue him.

"So you will tell me a story?"

"If that is what you want."

Henry just nodded and she thought for a moment. If this was the last time she was going to have with her son she would tell him a story he should have heard long ago.

"Once Upon a Time there was a woman who felt trapped. She had lost her love and her mother had promised her to a man and she did not want to be with. She tried to run but her mother would stop her…thinking it was what was best for her daughter. This young woman asked her father one day why her mother kept her, who had made her like she was. Her father told her of a man called Rumplestiltskin, who taught her mother magic. Now this woman did not want to use magic, she had seen what it had done to her mother, but she also wanted to bring back her true love Daniel, who had been killed."

At the mention of Daniel the darkness started coming back, perhaps he was calling her to him after all this time.

"Mom!"

"Henry." Regina opened her eyes coming back to the present.

"Continue with the story."

Regina nodded, "so this woman sought out Rumplestiltskin because she thought he could help her. But after studying under him she learned that magic could not bring back the dead. But that same day another man visiting Rumplestiltskin overheard of this woman's wishes and introduced her to a doctor who they said, could do just what she desired. And one night and attempt was made to bring back her love…but it failed. When she looked at him, laying there she realized that she had lost everything. She was without hope so she returned to the King and Rumplestiltskin taught her how to use magic to control and get power."

Regina found it harder and harder to find the strength to continue the story, and thinking about the past was much more painful than the damage to her body.

"Why don't you tell me a story now Henry, I'm tired of mine."

"Thank you, it was a good story."

"I love you Henry, so much."

"I'm so sorry."

"This isn't your fault, don't blame yourself. Just know that I love you."

And with that the darkness came back and a heaviness she felt in her head pulled her back to the ground.

* * *

So should I continue this or are people happy with it ending here?


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks so much for all of the reviews and follows. I am glad to hear the people want more. **_

_**Warning: So Regina was quite badly hurt and now this needs to be dealt with. So if you are squeamish about blood I'm sorry. I tried to not be graphic at all but it is mentioned. **_

* * *

"So we are going to a well? Why, I thought Henry was going to destroy magic?" Neal asked. He had almost gotten used to this land without magic and now being thrown back into it, and to find he had a son. He was a little disoriented and confused to say the least.

"Yes, and if he was looking for the source of the magic he would go to the well." Emma responded, trying to be patient with him.

"So magic lives in the well?"

"No...not completely, actually I don't know. But if that works for you yes, the magic lives in the well."

"And can he actually do it, destroy magic?"

"I don't know" David broke in, "but I think we can agree on one thing, he shouldn't be doing so alone. That dynamite could be very unstable so lets just find him and get him back home and hope Regina doesn't find out about this."

"That could add another layer of complication to things." Emma muttered under her breath.

Just then the sound of an explosion roared through the woods.

"Did that come from the direction of the well?" Neal asked.

"Yes I think so" David answered hesitantly.

"Oh God, Henry." Emma muttered before starting off at run.

Neal suddenly looked pale. "How far are we from the well?"

"Too far" Emma said as she turned around, "so if you don't mind do you want to get a move on?"

* * *

"Mommy no, don't leave me please." Henry cried out as he shook Regina by the shoulders but she just lay their motionless looking paler than he'd ever seen her.

"HENRY" came a sound from the trees close to where Regina had emerged not even fifteen minutes ago.

"Hello, help please I'm over here!" he answered back. See he had been right help had come. He just hoped it wasn't too late.

"Henry" the sound came again, as Emma broke through the opening in the trees and made her way over to where Henry knelt. Seconds later David and Neal made there way through as well and stopped in shock by the damage that stood in front of them.

"Are you hurt Henry, are you okay?" Emma asked trying to look him over as best she could, wiping the tears from his face.

"Is she...can you help her?" Henry simply said in response.

Emma looked down at where Regina lay on the ground and reached out two fingers to check for a pulse.

"She's still alive yes, there is a pulse and she's breathing can't you see?"

Henry looked down and did she his mother's chest raising and falling ever so slightly.

Emma stood up and walked over to where David and Neal stood.

"Her pulse is weak, she needs help quick, Neal the road isn't too far off that way why don't you go and see if you can flag down a car."

"You really think someone is going to volunteer to help save the Evil Queen?"

"To save Henry's mother, yes, now can you?"

Neal nodded and headed off in the direction that Emma had pointed in.

"Henry, what happened?" David asked.

"I was trying to destroy magic and then she came. When I lit the dynamite she pushed me to the ground and covered me up. Then she...her head was bleeding and there were stones poking out of her side but she pulled them out..." pointing to the ground where the slightly bloodied rocks still lay.

"Shh Henry it is okay, where were the stones did you say?"

"In her side."

Emma knelt down next to Regina. She knew quite a bit about first aid and knew that objects when removed could lead to some bleeding and complications. She slowly buttoned the trench coat and pushed it back so that she could see the injury better. The blue blouse was already becoming quite saturated and the stain spread further than Emma was comfortable with. She quickly unwrapped Regina's scarf from her neck and used it to cover the wound. Henry didn't need to see the blood.

"Henry can you come here." Henry hurried over. "I need you to apply pressure here. Just hold down on the scarf. I am going to go and see how Neal is doing with finding us a car."

Henry just nodded and moved his hand to apply pressure and kept a careful watch and the rise and fall of his mother's chest. She was still with him and it was going to remain that way.

"Good. I will be right back." Emma got up and ran off in the direction that she had sent Neal not long before.

It didn't take long to run into him. "Well did you find anyone?"

"Nothing, but there is an abandoned Mercedes, I don't know whose it is."

"Regina's"

"What"

"It is Regina's car, I'm sure her keys are on her somewhere, come on."

They returned to the scene of the well. "Henry, if your mom had her car keys on her, where would they be?"

"She doesn't have her purse with her, so probably just in her pocket."

"Can you look for me?"

Henry reached his hand in and pulled out the keys, "they are here."

"Great, we need to get going, David a little help? And Neal I don't think there will be enough room for you, but just a mile down that trail and you will be back in town."

"That's fine." Neal responded.

David walked over to where Henry was kneeling and picked up the Queen.

"Be careful!" Henry responded.

"It's okay buddy, now come on."

* * *

Henry rode in the back of the car with Regina applying pressure all the way to the hospital.

It didn't take long in order to have a whole team ready by the car with a gurney and Henry watched as his mother was rolled away.

"Come on Henry." Emma nudged him, "you should get checked out too."

"But I'm fine, can't I go with her."

"She will be taken care of, please just go for me."

"Fine" As he walked into the hospital.

* * *

"So Henry, how are you feeling." Dr. Whale asked.

"Shouldn't the Doctor be with my mom."

"We have other doctors, and they thought it was best I wasn't in charge of her case, now can you tell me how you are feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"Does anything hurt?"

"No."

"Do you mind if I check?"

"If you really want to."

Dr. Whale nodded and approached Henry starting my shining a light in his eyes before moving on the the reflexes.

"Can I ask you a question Dr. Whale?"

"I suppose so Henry."

"My Mom talked about a man who tried to bring Daniel back to life in the Enchanted Forest, do you know who that was, was it you, you brought him back this last time didn't you, here in Maine?"

"Yes it was me."

"Then why didn't it work in the Enchanted Forest?"

"I guess I wasn't really trying."

"What?"

"Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this but, I was paid by a man to try to bring back Daniel. Or at least make it look like I tried."

"Who? What man?"

"I shouldn't be telling you this Henry."

"Was it Rumplestilkskin?"

"Does this hurt Henry?" Whale asked pressing gently and various points along Henry's back.

"No, so was it Rumplestiltskin?"

"You're all set Henry, you were lucky to not be hurt by that blast."

"I was protected."

Whale just looked at him for a moment, "I'll go let Emma know I am done with you."

* * *

"So will she be okay?" Henry asked

"They say she will be yes, but the bump on her head is pretty bad and she lost a lot of blood so it could be awhile before she wakes up." Emma responded.

"Well can I see her?"

"Not yet, they are still running some tests."

"I need to go then." Henry said matter of factly.

"What?"

"I need to talk to Mr. Gold, do you know where he is?"

"Last I knew he was with Mary Margaret. Henry why do you need to talk to Mr. Gold?"

"There's just some stuff I need to figure out. I will be back as soon as I can."

* * *

**_I normally don't update stories this quickly. The next chapter will probably be up pretty quickly as well though, as soon as I have time to write it. _**

**_Please let me know if there was anything about the chapter that you didn't like or how you think I can improve my writing._**


	3. Chapter 3

_**I hope you enjoy. Please review, tell me what you do or don't like, it also helps me gauge if people really want to me continue writing. Speaking of that I am I working on another OUAT story currently called Danielle and I have a link at the bottom of the story to a survey where you can vote on which story you think should take priority as far as me working on writing and updating them.**_

* * *

"Mr Gold!" Henry called out as he hurried into Mary Margaret's apartment which had quickly grown to hold their large family, and dropped his backpack on the floor.

"Henry?" Mary Margaret asked, sitting up from bed.

"Oh hi, how are you doing, I was looking for Mr. Gold is he still here?"

"Why do you want to talk to him?" Mary Margaret asked puzzled.

"Oh you know, he always tells the best stories, plus I want to learn more about my grandfather." Henry answered, not wanting to upset Mary Margaret any more than she already was.

"Henry, where are David and Emma? You can tell me it is ok."

Henry looked at Mary Margaret, she did look stronger than she did when he last saw her. But if he told her what happened, that Regina was in the hospital she could blame herself more. But perhaps she deserved to know what was going on. Henry knew that he would hate to be kept in the black.

"They are at the…"

"Henry." Mr. Gold interrupted before he could answer.

"Mr. Gold, good you are still here, I need to ask you about something."

"And what would that be."

Henry looked nervously over at Mary Margaret, "could I maybe talk to you in private?"

"Sure, why don't we go for a walk, Mary Margaret do you think you will be ok here, I don't expect Regina will be coming back soon."

"Oh yeah" Henry replied, "no need to worry about that."

Mary Margaret looked up at Henry puzzled, "where did you say Emma and David were again?"

"Headed back here probably." Henry answered, "see you later."

* * *

"Henry where are Emma and David?" Mr. Gold asked matter of factly once they had left the apartment.

"In the hospital."

"Why are they in the hospital, are they hurt."

"No they are fine, but there was an accident and my mom was…but they say she is going to be ok."

"That is good, is she who you wanted to talk about?"

"Her mother actually."

"Cora, you wanted to know about Cora?" Gold asked shocked, partly at Henry's interest and partially at the fact that he did not see this line of inquiry coming. She was after all Henry's grandmother who had just died.

"Yes, well my Mom told me that you made Cora the she was, that you brought her magic is that true?"

"I guess you could say so, yes…"

"But how…what was she before magic?"

Mr. Gold thought for a moment before carefully answered, "she was poor, a Miller's daughter with ambition for more. By spinning straw into gold she got to marry the King's son."

"Wait, are you telling me that you taught her to spin straw into gold?"

"Yes, well I did it for her for a time before teaching her."

"But you are Rumplestiltskin and you taught Cora, the Miller's daughter, to spin straw into gold?" Henry asked again.

"Yes I suppose I did."

"But that is THE story."

"What?" Mr. Gold asked confused.

"Here, in this land, in our fairytales that is the story of Rumplestiltskin, he taught the Miller's daughter to spin straw into gold…in exchange for her first born child."

"Is that so, well Henry obviously I did not take Cora's first born child because that was…"

"Regina, my mother." Henry finished the sentence for Gold.

"Yes, and I did not take her did I."

"No you didn't but you…did you pay Whale to pretend to try to bring Daniel back to life?" Henry asked.

"What?"

"When she was…after the accident she told me that she started magic because she wanted to bring Daniel back to life, but learned that wasn't possible."

"Yes, it is not, magic can't do everything."

"So she was introduced to a man who said he could do the impossible, but he failed. Dr. Whale said that man was him, but that he didn't really try. He was paid by a man to pretend to try, but to fail. He wouldn't say who or why."

"Really how interesting, look Henry obviously you are upset about your mother and therefore are asking about things that you don't understand."

"Why did my mother cast the curse, why couldn't she just get revenge in the Enchanted Forest?"

"I don't know you would have to ask her?"

"I think I will, thanks for the walk Mr. Gold, see you later." Henry answered with his telltale smile.

"Where are you going now?"

"Back to the hospital of course, you told me I should ask my mom didn't you?"

* * *

"Hi Henry, did you find Gold?" Emma asked as Henry ran into the hospital, slightly out of breath, carrying a book under his shoulder.

"Yes, can I see my Mom yet?"

"Yes, they say she just woke up, what have you got there."

"Just a story I thought I would read to my mom."

* * *

"Mom"

"Henry, you're okay." Regina answered with a weak smile.

"Of course…and you are too."

"I told you I would be didn't I."

"I brought a story I thought I could read to you." Henry responded, changing the subject.

Regina smiled and nodded, "that would be nice, thank you Henry."

Henry sat down in a chair at the side of the bed and opened up the book and started to read, "Once there was a miller who was poor, but who had a beautiful daughter. Now it happened that he had to go and speak to the king, and in order to make himself appear important he said to him, "I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold…."

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_**As I said before here is a link to a survey so you can let me know which story I should be focusing on more Danielle or Dynamite. Thanks for reading.**_

_** s/3K7FDZK**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Just to let you know this story isn't quite structured plot wise it my mind yet. I have a possible idea, but if you have any suggestions as to where you would like to see this story go, let me know I would love to hear. Also tell me what you like and don't like so that I can make future chapters better.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Mom did you like the story?" Henry asked poking Regina who was now laying with her eyes closed. The pounding in her head had increased and it took all of her energy to just focus on Henry's voice and push out the pain.

"Yes, it was nice Henry, was it from your book?"

"No, but it is about your land isn't it? Rumplestiltskin and your mother?"

"My mother?" Regina asked.

"The Miller's daughter, Rumplestiltskin taught her how to spin straw into gold, that was your mom wasn't it."

"Yes I suppose it was." Regina smiled, her mother had never gone into detail about her past, other than to say that she was once poor and no longer was. And that her daughter would never be as well.

"But don't you understand what the story means?" Henry asked, frustrated that his mother hadn't caught onto the main message that he was trying to tell her.

"And what is that."

"Didn't you hear. All magic comes with a price, and Cora made a deal for Rumplestiltskin's magic. Her first born child, and wasn't that…"

"Me" Regina answered, "well Henry it is just a story. I was not given to Rumplestilkskin. I was raised by my parents. It wasn't until I was older that I even met Rumplestiltskin."

"That doesn't mean that he didn't have you…control you."

Regina simply laughed. "You think that Gold controls me, Henry the choices that I made, right or wrong were mine."

"You didn't create the curse did you?"

"No Henry, but I did cast it." Regina said, trying to make him understand.

"Who did make it?"

"Rumplestiltskin?"

"And why did you cast it?" Henry asked again.

"To destroy Snow White's happiness, to kill her, I don't know it is hard to remember anymore."

"But why not do that in the Enchanted Forest? Why use a curse to take you away from your home."

"I couldn't hurt her in the Enchanted Forest, she had a protection spell put on her." Regina didn't know why the words kept coming out. She had decided to be honest with Henry, start to tell him her story when she thought she was dying. And know it seemed that she could not stop telling him the things that he wanted to know.

"Did she put the protection spell on herself?"

"No Rumplestiltskin did, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Back when you tried to bring Daniel back, it was Whale who did it like he did this last time. Except he told me he didn't really try. He only pretended. He was paid by a man who I think was Rumplestiltskin to try and fail to bring Daniel back."

"And why would he do that?"

"So you would go back to magic, you said that at first you didn't want to use magic, he needed to make you desperate."

"Henry all he did was teach me."

"MOM, why can't you see it? He needed to come here, so he used you to cast a curse. He made you into an Evil Queen so he could find his son."

"What?" Regina asked. This was the first time that she had ever heard to Rumplestiltskin having a son.

"His son fell through a portal to this land and he was trying to get back to him."

"How do you know so much about his son?"

"Because he is my dad."

"WHAT?" Regina did not see this turn of events coming. Perhaps Rumple had been pulling the strings on that one. After all, he was he who helped her to find Henry.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and her pounding headache.

"Hey kid I need to talk to your mom, mind giving us a minute?" Greg Mendel asked.

"Hey I know you, I ran into you on the trail." Henry answered.

"Yes, thanks to you I found my way back, now if you don't mind."

Henry looked up and Regina who just nodded. Trying once again to pulsing pain in her head out.

"Greg Mendel?" Regina asked.

"That is what you know me as, but you have met me before." He answered.

Regina looked up questioningly, "is that so?"

"Owen, I was here 28 years ago, we made apple turnovers, then you did something to my dad, I'm looking for him" he answered.

"Ah yes, little Owen, well I don't know where your father is, he left very shortly after you did. I assumed that he found you, sorry to hear that was not the case." Regina answered.

"You are lying." Owen answered stepping closer. The pounding in Regina's head got louder.

"Look I would help you if I could, but as you can see I'm quite in the state to go looking for missing persons so…"

"Where is he?" Owen asked again.

Just then the beeping on the machine that Regina was hooked up to starting getting louder, calling Doctors and Nurses to the change in Regina's health.

"This conversation isn't over" Owen yelled as he was ushered out of the room.

Just then the pounding in Regina's head turned from a rhythmic thudding to chaos and she seized backwards.

"What is happening to my mom, I thought you said she was ok?" Henry asked, charging into the room.

"She hurt her head, her brain is swollen and pressing against her skull, we need to release the pressure, Henry we will take care of her." Dr. Whale said as he followed a team of nurses out of the room. "We will call Emma once we are done, but for now why don't you go home and get some rest."

* * *

**So what do you think I should do with this story? Let me know in reviews, or send me a PM.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I took so long to update. I have been busy and there seemed to be more interest in my other story. If you would like me to update this more frequently let me know. This chapter has a little more medical terminology and chatter in it. I am sorry if I did a horrible job, I am an engineering student, not a Doctor. Also if the writing sucks I repeat, I am an engineering student, but I try. Review, it helps me to know if people are interested in the story. Also I don't have too much of this story mapped out in my mind yet so if you have any suggestions plot wise or relationships you would like to see shown also let me know that in reviews. **

**Thanks.**

* * *

"Cerebral Edema?" Emma asked on the end of the phone.

"Is that about my mom?" Henry asked loudly as he entered the room, anxiously sitting next to Emma at the bar in the kitchen.

"Your mom…Regina?" Snow asked, perking up in bed. She hadn't moved since her part in Cora's death, but she could sense that something was up.

"Would you all be quiet for one moment?" Emma said, covering mouthpiece of the phone, "I am just on the phone with Dr. Whale if you would be patient."

"Dr. Whale, why, what is wrong with Regina?" Snow asked, fully alert now, as though the mystery had snapped her out of the despair and guilt she had been living in.

Emma took a deep breath, "I will explain it all to you soon, I just need to talk to Dr. Whale on the phone." Her father would probably kill her for this; he had insisted that they keep the whole well incident quiet for Mary Margaret's sake. But Regina still was her step mother and she deserved to know. Mary Margaret nodded her understand, and Emma turned back to the phone.

"Dr. Whale, you said she had a Cerebral Edema?"

"Yes it is when the brain…"

"When after a traumatic injury the brain swells, and there is pressure between it and the skull, Henry said he saw Regina seizing, which is one of the symptoms isn't it. Did you operate to relieve the pressure, is she alright?"

"I was just getting to that Ms. Swan, do have a medical degree that I am not aware of?"

"No" Emma answered, "I just really like medical tv shows."

"Well I have to say they don't make you an expert, but you were right about this. Originally our worry was the blood loss from the wound in Regina's side. But Regina also received some major trauma to the cranium. It took a while for the pressure to build up, but the seizure that Henry saw was due to this. We operated, performed what is called a Ventriculostomy to relieve the pressure. The operation was a success, and we expect her to be awake within the next six hours. We will know more after that. Do I need to define a Ventriculostomy for you Ms. Swan or do you know what that is as well?"

"I don't Dr. Whale, but I do have Web MD, and a very anxious boy here so I will skip the definition. I am guessing I wouldn't really understand even if you told me, but I do have one question for you."

"Shoot"

"Why are you telling me this, isn't there something called confidentiality when it comes to medical procedures?"

"Yes, in a case like Regina's I would be expected to keep the next of kin up to date, but since Regina's only next of kin is an eleven year old I thought it would be easiest to explain to you. Plus you are the sheriff of this town which probably magically makes you the emergency contact of every lonely soul in this town, bet you didn't see that job perk coming?"

"No Whale, I did not. But thank you, please let me know if there are any new updates."

"Of course, good day Ms. Swan"

And with that Emma hung up the phone and looked up to see two very anxious pair of eyes looks at her.

"So is my mom ok?" Henry asked

"And are you going to explain to me what happened" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yes" Emma said, "come on, why don't we sit down, I will start from the beginning."

* * *

"And you thought you could just keep this from me, Regina almost died and you thought you wouldn't tell me?"

"David thought it was best." Emma responded.

"Yes, and we will have a conversation about that later, but Emma since when do you do what your father tells you, I should have been there, I want to go see her."

"I don't know if that is the best idea," Emma replied and was met by a steely look by her mother. "for your own protection."

"And what do you think she is going to do to me after nearly bleeding out, having what was it? A cerebral edema and having a hole drilled in her head to fix it all?" Snow asked.

"I didn't mean for it to happen" Henry blurted, tears flowing down his face.

"Oh honey, I know, and your mother was so happy to see you, she didn't blame you. You told her a lovely story."

"And I need to keep telling it to her, I need to prove to her that it isn't her fault she is the way she is, she was manipulated."

"Henry, I know you want to see the best in your mother now that she has been changing, but what she did in her past, that was her decision."

"Maybe not, Mary Margaret, you knew Regina before, could she have really have become the person is did without someone pushing her down that path." Henry asked.

"Henry I don't know." Mary Margaret replied, suddenly trying to be much more sensitive around Henry, "people are complicated."

"But she was tricked…Mr. Gold always thought my mom was his because of the deal he made with her mother, he tricked her into using magic, faked trying to bring Daniel back so he could create a monster that would create a curse so he could get back to my dad. I've worked it all out. She just needs to understand, I think understanding could help her to change to, to be the old Regina, you would like that wouldn't you Mary Margaret?"

"Of course I would Henry, I think we all would."

"Well then at least help me try." He looked up at them, his eyes pleading.

Emma looked over to her mother who simply shrugged before nodding.

"Ok kid, I guess we can try." Emma said.

Just then her phone rang, the caller ID read the hospital.

"Hello" Emma answered

"It's Dr. Whale again, I just thought I would let you know that Regina is awake."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the feedback from my last chapter. I thought people weren't really reading this story so it was awesome to hear that people are. This next chapter is a bit different, it focuses on Regina, the story is meant to be about her but she hasn't been in it much recently because of being unconscious for a good portion of the story so far. **

**This part is a bit Stable Queen. Also it takes place right after Regina because unconscious after talking to Greg. Please let me know what you think by leaving me a review. **

* * *

Regina felt a warm light on her skin, and a soft touch on her face as she opened her eyes and looked up to see Daniel. She blinked, and opened her eyes again, looking up at the bright green eyes that were looking down at her, taking in the feel of the soft grass below her, before finally being about let out a sound.

"Daniel?"

"Hello Regina, it is so very good to see you again."

Regina smiled and let out a small sob, reaching her hand up to feel his face, it felt real, but she still couldn't believe it, he had died. But there he was before her, looking as alive as happy as he was the day before they tried to run off. She sat up so that she could hug him, feel him all around her, convince herself that he was real.

"Daniel, I missed you so much, but how are you here, where are we?"

"That is a complicated question" Daniel answered as he held out a hand to Regina and helped her up.

"Ok, then where are we?" Regina asked. Looking around her and only seeing the grass that she was laying on continuing in every direction without end, and a soft yellowish white light above her.

"It is a sort of in between place." Daniel answered.

"Am I dead?" Regina asked, suddenly remembering the accident, the hospital, and the painful headache, feeling her muscles clenching uncontrollably and then unconsciousness.

"No" Daniel said as he stroked her face, "but you gave me quite a fright. As much as I want to see you again, it is not your time yet."

"You were watching me?" Regina asked.

"Of course, I am always watching you, I never really left you. I watched you become queen, I watched you in Maine, I watched you with Henry as he has grown up."

At the mention of Henry's name Regina smiled, his name could always make her smile.

"I'm so sorry for what I have become" she said, taking in the fact that Daniel had seen everything that she did, the good and the bad, all of the lives that she had destroyed. Tears started to fall down her face; it had all gone so wrong.

"Regina, it is ok, I still love you. You can be the woman I fell in love with again, there is something that I want to show you. I didn't think you would be ready, but Henry has been raising some very interesting points."

"You mean about Rumplestiltskin?" Regina asked.

"Who you became Regina, was not all your doing, and the sooner you can understand that the sooner I think you can change, and I would so much like for you to do that." Daniel held out his hand, "do you trust me"

"Always" Regina replied, as she took his hand and the world around them seemed to dissolve and be replaced by one of the chambers of her old castle. A young Regina stood with Rumplestiltskin as he introduced himself.

Regina turned to Daniel, "how have you done this?"

"These are from my memories, what I saw, I told you I was watching, now just watch, don't worry they can't see us" his voice trailed off after a moment, "just like you could never see me."

_"I knew you long ago dearie, it's been some time but I knew this day would come, I've been waiting for it, and I'm so happy we're back where we belong" Rumplestiltskin whispered as he circled the young Regina._

_"Where's that?" she asked, her voice sounded so pure, Regina forget her voice had ever sounded like that._

_"Together" Rumplestiltskin replied. _

Regina turned back to Daniel. "I don't understand why you are showing me this?"

"So you can remember how your relationship with him started, and how you felt at the beginning of it, now listen." Daniel took Regina gently by the shoulders and turned her back to the scene and it unfolded in front of them.

_"The death of your friends?" Rumplestiltskin asked, jumping towards Regina._

_"No I don't want to hurt anyone" Regina replied, almost as if she were defending herself. _

"I think you have seen enough here" Daniel said as he held out his hand to Regina again. "Do you think you can see some more?"

Regina nodded and placed her palm in Daniel's hand and the world dissolved away again, this time replaced by the path going through the forest. Regina saw herself riding on her horse, she remember this is when she was planning on leaving. Just then Rumplestiltskin appeared on the road. Daniel really had been watching her all along.

_"Leaving are we?" Rumplestiltskin asked._

_"That was always the plan" Regina walked over to Rumplestiltskin and handed him back her mother's book, "here, a gift, I don't want it."_

_"Uh…can't be a gift it was mine to start with, before you go, answer me this, how did it feel?"_

_"I loved my mother" Regina replied._

_"That's not what I asked dearie, how did it feel to use magic?"_

_"It doesn't matter, I'll never use it again" Regina replied as she turned around to leave._

_"Why not" Rumplestiltskin prodded._

_"Because I loved it." Regina answered, feeling defeated._

_Rumplestiltskin smiled at this, "you've discovered who you are." He said. "You could do so much now, if you let me show you how."_

_"Through magic?"_

_"Through many things"_

_"And what do you get out of it."_

_"Someday you'll do something for me, let me guide you." Rumplestiltskin held out the book to Regina and she took it. _

Regina stood watching with Daniel, she squeezed his hand. He turned and saw her faced lined with tears.

"I'm so sorry." He said, as the world dissolved around them again and brought them back to the grassland where they started. "I thought it would be difficult, but I never meant to cause you pain."

"I know" Regina said.

"I won't show you anymore, but just let me tell you while we still have time, before you must return to the land of the living."

"But I don't want to leave you." Regina said, turning to face him.

"And I don't want to leave you, but it isn't your time yet. But let me tell you what I can. Henry was right about Rumplestiltskin tricking you to make you desperate by trying to bring me back, I think that was the most difficult part for me to watch. I truly believe that Rumplestiltskin was trying to darken your soul, but the light one is still in there, fighting to get out I know it. And he did create the curse with the intension of you using it, he created the protection for the Charmings so that you would need to use the curse if you were ever to have a hope of destroying Snow White. But that is enough about him. I need you to know I have watched you raising Henry since the beginning, and although you sometimes don't believe it, your son loves you."

Regina's tears started to fall again.

"I can see it in him believe me. And I want to ask you to do something for me."

"Anything"

"Don't blame Snow."

"But she is why you died, she tricked me into killing my own mother."

"She was a little girl who put her trust in the wrong woman, you can't blame her for that. I don't blame her for my death. And as for your mother, Snow also was manipulated, and feels so much remorse, I only want to see you happy Regina and revenge on Snow won't do that."

"But I don't know how to change."

"You are capable of so much you are capable of this."

A quiet beeping sound slowly started to invade her and Daniel's world.

"What is that?" Regina asked.

"I believe that it is time for you to leave me."

"No I don't want to, Daniel I love you." Regina pleaded.

"And I love you too" Daniel said as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her's. "but it isn't your time yet, just remember I am always here, and I believe in you, more than anything in this world which I have been watching Regina I believe in you."

Regina leaned forward and kissed Daniel again before wrapping her arms around him, trying to hold onto him for as long as possible before she felt herself fading from this place.

"Regina, Regina can you hear me" a voice came. She opened her eyes and found a light being pointed into her eyes and she nodded. She was back in the world of the living.

* * *

**So did you like it, please let me know what you thought in reviews. Also if there are any relationships you would like me to explore let me know and I might be able to work that in.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks so much for the response I got to my last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well. Let me know what you think.**

* * *

Dr. Whale entered Regina's room, "You have visitors, do you mind if you let them in?"

Regina nodded and pushed herself up to be seated more, trying to make herself look as presentable as she could in a hospital gown and a bandaged head. All the cords that she was hooked up to got tangled in the blankets and she just had time to lay them all flat before Henry and Emma entered her room.

"Mom?" Henry asked.

"Hey buddy" Regina answered, a genuine smile coming across her face. "Were you scared?"

"A little bit, I didn't know what was happening to you and…" Henry started to get panicked just thinking about it.

"Hey" Regina said comfortingly, "I am never going to leave you, not if you don't want me too. Besides they are taking really good care of me here."

Henry nodded and looked down, trying to be comforted by his mother's words. But he still found himself scared. In the past couple of days he had almost lost her twice, and his view of her identity and its origins had been turned on end.

"Henry" Regina said, "I know I haven't been doing a good job of being the person that you want me to be. But I really do want to try, and be the old Regina. I think she would be a much better mother to you and that is very important to me. I know that it is asking a lot of you but I would like you to give me another chance, do you think you can do that?"

Henry nodded, "I would like that more than anything."

Regina smiled, if it is what Daniel wanted and what her son wanted, then it would probably be best for her in the long run.

"Regina" Emma said from where she was standing in the background.

"Miss Swan, forgive me, I almost forgot you were here." Regina replied, so easily slipping back into her professional, mayoral role.

"It is no problem, it is just Henry and I aren't your only visitors, Mary Margaret is here too and she would like to see you if that is ok."

Regina sighed. She thought she would have more time to think about what Daniel had told her before she would have to speak to the woman she had decided to hate so long ago. But if she was serious about being on a path to change it was best to get these steps done as soon as possible. As difficult as Regina knew they would be, it was important for Henry. And Regina now knew Daniel was watching.

"Yes, Miss Swan, you can let her in." Regina replied after a moment.

Emma looked at Regina hesitantly for a moment.

"Don't worry I won't hurt her, I'm not sure if I even could in my state" Regina said.

Emma nodded and headed out the door and returned moments later with Mary Margaret, her face was almost as pale was Regina's and she held her hand's nervously.

"Hello Regina, I'm glad to see you are ok" she said, not sure how to start the conversation.

"Emma, would you mind taking Henry outside, I would like to speak to Mary Margaret privately" Regina asked.

Emma turned and looked at her mother with a look of worry. Sure Regina did not seem like she was very dangerous in her current state, but she was still Regina.

"It's ok Emma" Mary Margaret replied, "I'll catch up with you later."

Emma nodded and took Henry by the shoulders, directing him out of the room. "Bye Mom" Henry called as he left.

"Bye Henry, I love you" Regina called back as the door to her hospital room closed.

"Regina I'm so sorry" Mary Margaret blurted.

"Please stop" Regina said. Mary Margaret looked at her bewildered. "There is something I have to say to you and it would be much easier for me if you would just stop with the apologies."

Mary Margaret nodded and let go of her hands, letting her arms fall at the side of her body. Looking up at Regina ready for whatever she had to say to her. Whatever it was she was sure she deserved it; after all she had practically killed her mother. It was probably her fault that Regina was in the hospital in the first place.

"I don't blame you for Daniel's death." Regina said slowly, word by word.

Mary Margaret looked up surprised. This was certainly not what she was expecting.

"I realize that you are not responsible for Daniel's death. You may have made a mistake by putting your trust in the wrong person, but I do not blame you for the outcome"

"Regina, do you mind if I ask where this is coming from?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I spoke with Daniel, after my seizure, and he doesn't blame you for his death, so neither do I. He told me he wants me to change, to be the old Regina, the one who saved you on that horse. So I am going to try to do that for him and for Henry. So I wanted to tell you that I don't blame you for his death."

"Thank you" Mary Margaret said, "I would like that so much too, and if I can help you I will."

"I am not doing this for you" Regina said. "And I can start to accept that you are not completely responsible for my mother's death. But you were a part of it." Regina said.

Snow nodded solemnly.

"But no good can be done by holding on to hate, not if I want to change. You are important to Henry."

Mary Margaret nodded.

"But I would like to rest now, if you don't mind."

"Of course" Mary Margaret said, "feel better, and if there is anything that I can do for you please let me know."

Regina nodded her understanding and waited for Mary Margaret to leave the room.

Outside Emma waited anxiously, she had sent Henry with a dollar to go find something from the vending machine but she did not wander far from the door. Mary Margaret exited with a look of shock on her face.

"Are you okay" Emma asked, "did she do anything to you?"

"No" Mary Margaret replied, "She just said she does not blame me for Daniel's death."

* * *

**So what did you think. To out of character for Regina is this going in a good direction. Please let me know in reviews I am really curious as to what people think because when I started the story this is not the path that I thought I would be going down. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the response. I hope you like this next chapter, please let me know what you think. Also if you are interested in being a beta reader for this story or my other Once fic let me know. I haven't used one yet but I think it could be really helpful. Enjoy. **

* * *

The days had passed in the hospital slowly as Dr. Whale insisted that Regina stay for observation, to make sure that she had no more cranial swelling and that her wounds did not get infected. Regina didn't think fresh unsterilized air could ever feel so good, but the minute Regina stepped outside she wondered why she hadn't appreciated it before. Henry held onto her hand and Mary Margaret walked a couple of strides a head of them. When they finally reached Mary Margaret's car, she turned to them.

"So, should I bring you back to your place then" Mary Margaret asked

"You don't have to do this; I am more than capable of driving myself." Regina countered.

"It is hospital policy, you had to have someone pick you up, and I am more than happy to be that person." Mary Margaret responded. She had come to visit Regina every day since Regina told her that she no longer blamed her for Daniel's death. She tried to bring up their life before, back when Snow considered the old Regina to be one of her best friends but Regina constantly shut down and Mary Margaret was careful not to overstay her welcome. Regina was making progress, she could see that, but she didn't want to push her too hard.

"It is a stupid policy, I have been checked out, that means that they no longer have control over me anymore." Regina answered back again.

"I'm just offering, can I bring you home? Or is there somewhere else that I can bring you?"

Regina looked off in the distance for a while, obviously still bothered by the fact that she had to rely on someone else, before she turned back.

"Actually, there is someplace that I would like to go." Regina said.

"Great" Mary Margaret answered, "consider me your taxi driver, where would you like to go."

"To Mr. Gold's shop" Regina answered.

Mary Margaret looked at her with a look of surprise, holding back her comments and hesitation. Regina was allowing her to do something for her, they were finally healing their relationship, and for now it was best to save her thoughts for later.

"Mom, what are you going to do there?" Henry asked, obviously worried.

"I just want to talk to him is all Henry, nothing to worry about." Regina answered.

"But" Henry countered.

"Henry, after everything that you told me, all the truths that you uncovered; I need to talk to him, to find out how much of me is me and how much is his doing."

"But he won't help you Mom he has never helped you, why don't I go with you?" Henry asked.

"No" Regina answered, "this is a conversation for me and Mr. Gold."

"You don't have to be alone in this Regina" Mary Margaret replied.

"No I do, but I do believe you said you would be my taxi driver?"

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. Regina was changing, slowly. But her quips were ever present and she wondered if they would ever leave.

"Of course" Mary Margaret replied as she opened the car door and Regina and Henry got inside.

* * *

The bell to Gold's shop rang as Regina entered the building, Mr. Gold sneaked out from the counter from where he was reorganizing his most valuable merchandise.

"Ah Regina, back on your feet again I see." Mr. Gold replied.

"Yes" Regina replied, "and I had plenty of time to think while I was trapped in that hospital bed. I had some interesting conversations."

"Is that so" Mr. Gold replied, "and now you have come to talk to me?"

"You created this curse." Regina said. Mr. Gold nodded.

"And my son, well he thinks you created me as well." Regina said.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"That you manipulated me, through deceit, into becoming the woman that I am, the person who cast that curse."

"And you really want to believe that I am responsible for you?" Mr. Gold replied.

"I…answer me some questions." Regina said. "I need to hear from you."

Mr. Gold simply nodded, he seemed almost entertained by Regina's sudden curiosity.

"Did you know the effect that magic would have on me, that I would love it like I did the first time."

"I was quite certain you would, that you be hooked."

Regina nodded and took and breath before continuing.

"Daniel..."

"All your mother's doing, I had nothing to do with his death." Mr. Gold replied.

"I wasn't done, Daniel, did Dr. Whale really try to bring him back, or was that all an act?" Regina asked.

"The whole world is an act…a stage as some men like to say." Mr. Gold responded.

"Answer the question."

"No, he never really tried."

"And by doing that you said you created your monster, referring to me."

"Yes." Mr. Gold replied.

"And the protection curse for Snow White, you did that so that I would have to cast the curse to bring them here."

"Yes" Mr. Gold responded.

"The whole time you knew me, you were trying to make me into the person that would cast that curse, the Evil Queen."

"Yes." Mr. Gold answered, "but dearie, I never put evil in you, I just coaxed it out, it was in you the whole time, just waiting."

Regina raised her hand as if to summon magic.

"And now you can't stop" Mr. Gold said as he laughed. "But I would be careful, Henry wouldn't want you hurting his grandfather would he?"

"Grandfather?" Regina asked astounded.

"Haven't you wondered who that man is that was with David and Emma when they found you by the well?"

"I wasn't exactly conscious" Regina responded through clenched teeth.

"Henry found his birth father in Manhattan, Neal, turns out he is my son. After all these years I finally found him."

A steely look covered Regina's face before she forced out the word, "congratulations."

"No thank you" Mr. Gold said. Still trying to force some kind of reaction out of Regina; and she knew it now.

Instead she gave a quick nod and turned around and headed back out of the shop.


	9. Chapter 9

**I am still looking for a betareader for this story. Let me know if you are interested. I would also love to get some more reviews. It is nice to hear what people think, good or bad. And with school starting tomorrow it will certainly help to motivate me to continue writing. I am not going to hold chapters hostage to more reviews but I would love to get some. Thanks.**

* * *

"She did what?" David asked incredulously

"She forgave me" Snow said with a smile, "I really think she is trying to change"

"She is" Henry blurted as he ran down the stairs, "She is starting to understand how she became the person she did, so that she can become the person she was before."

"How she became?" David asked confused.

"She has always been Rumplestiltskin's puppet; he created her to be the Evil Queen. Now that she knows this she can be good again." Henry said.

David looked at Mary Margaret unbelievingly, "He's right…I think." She replied.

"And you think this changes the business with the beans?" David whispered to Mary Margaret.

"What bean business?" Henry asked.

"Hey kid, why don't you go get ready for school, Emma said she was going to walk you." David said as he directed Henry towards the stairs before returning to Mary Margaret.

"I think we shouldn't leave her behind, we should be helping her." Mary Margaret said.

"Helping her" David laughed, "she has done nothing but cause this family pain."

"She raised Henry, saved his life not too long ago and mine once as well, she is trying to change, I think we shouldn't leave her behind."

"Fine" David said, "she can come, but then she can serve her time for the crimes that she committed."

"You want to lock her up?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I think it is how everyone would be the safest." David replied.

"It would do her no good. Change cannot come in a cage, it will only bring rage and if we want to keep the people safe I think having Regina be in a rage is something that should be avoided."

"So you agree she is dangerous." David questioned

"Yes she is dangerous, everyone is dangerous if provoked. But everyone is also good, and that good is coming back we can't just leave her behind and we can't lock her up, you think Henry would stand for any of this." Mary Margaret asked.

"He would come to understand in time." David said.

"Come to understand what in time?" Henry asked coming down the stairs once again.

Before David could answer there was a knock at the door. Mary Margaret turned to open it and found Regina standing on the other side. She stood frozen in fear for a moment, hoping that she hadn't been standing on the other side of the door for long, hadn't heard their discussion about her fate.

"Regina" David said, the first to break the silence, "what brings you here?"

"I came to see Henry, I thought maybe I could walk him to school." Regina replied.

"Emma was going to" David replied.

"Oh" Regina said, obviously disappointed.

"But she isn't here right now, so why don't you walk Henry, I will let Emma know when she comes." Mary Margaret replied, giving David a telling glance.

"That sounds wonderful, Henry are you ready to go" Regina asked.

"Yup" Henry said as he grabbed his backpack and ran past Regina out the door.

Regina nodded to Mary Margaret and David before turning around and following after Henry.

"Are you feeling better" Henry asked once they had left the building.

"Yes much better, and I thought a lot about what you told me, and I went and talked to Gold, and you were right Henry." Regina said.

"I knew it, it isn't your fault you're evil"

Regina gave a pained smile; the word evil coming out of Henry's mouth in reference to her was still very painful.

"I mean were evil, but now you can become good again, now that you know it was all Rumplestiltskin's doing." Henry said.

"Henry, it wasn't all his doing, things aren't black and white like that. But yes, I am going to try and be better, so I can be a better mother for you."

"Mary Margaret said that you forgave her, for Daniel" Henry said.

"Yes it is what he wanted, and I think it is a good start."

"You spoke to Daniel?" Henry asked confused.

"In a way yes, when I was hurt and in the hospital, I don't know how but…"

"True love." Henry responded, "it is the most powerful magic of all isn't it?"

"Yes I suppose it is" Regina replied as she looked up and realized that they were at Henry's school. "Have a good day at school."

"Thanks mom, I will see you later" Henry said before he ran off.

Regina stood and watched him until he was out of sight. Before turning around and trying to brainstorm a solution to a new problem. The Charmings wanted to leave Storybrooke, somehow they had found a way out and they were going to leave her behind. As much as she was trying to change the constant deceit from them made it difficult to put trust in them. No one besides Gold had told her the truth about who Henry's father was and Regina wondered what else they were keeping from her. And what she must do to make sure that she keep Henry in her life.

She made the walk back to her house slow as she hoped for some brilliant idea to come for her; some way that could stay on her path to good and keep Henry some leaving, but as she approached her front door she still had nothing.

As she unlocked the door and walked in she was surprised by the appearance of a pirate in her foyer.

"Hook?" she said.

"Regina" he replied.

"What on earth are you doing in my house?"

"I wanted to talk to you, I have a deal to suggest."


	10. Chapter 10

**So I haven't been getting any reviews for this story, but I have been getting them on my other story Danielle (even though it is getting far fewer views). That story is also in quite an exciting point that I am invested in so unless I hear that there is interest in this story my other story will get the majority of my attention, and I probably won't get back to this until next week. I am not trying to be mean, just trying to explain my reasoning and why this might not be updated as frequently as it has been. **

**I would still love to hear what you think. Do you love this story, hate it, are you apathetic about it(this is my guess), no matter what the answer I would love to hear it and why. **

**Enjoy this chapter, it sets up some future drama.**

* * *

"Deal?" Regina asked inquisitively as she stepped closer, deciding to trust Hook for at least this one moment.

"You see I have a problem and I believe you and your mother could help me solve it." Hook explained.

Regina froze, "my mother is dead."

"Oh, I'm truly sorry, she will be missed." Hook said, stepping closer as if he was trying to console Regina. She stepped back defensively and Hook raised his hand, indicating that he had received her message.

"I came here for one reason, to kill the crocodile and he is still breathing which makes me very unhappy."

"You want me to help you kill him?" Regina asked.

"The two of you have a sort of repport, and here in Storybrooke…well he has powers and I am hopeless against killing him. You and him are similar…perhaps you have a way."

"And why would I help you?" Regina asked.

"You must admit he is the only one in this town with power like you do, some could say it is he who runs this town, with him gone so would your competition."

"Things aren't as simple as that." Regina said tersely. Thinking back to her conversation with Henry, how she had been manipulated by Gold and was now trying to be a good person, a better person. But she couldn't help thinking that perhaps with Gold gone she would finally be free. He may be Henry's grandfather but in time he would learn to forgive.

"Say I have a way, a deal usually goes two ways, what do you have to offer me?" Regina asked.

"Well, I would owe you a favor" Hook said as he stepped forward almost seductively, "besides I can't help but think the last time I saw your mother she was alive and Gold was on the verge of death, but now you say she is dead; it didn't have anything to do with…?"

Regina shook her head, of course he would figure out that there was a connection. "Her heart had been cursed." Regina started to explain but Hook just looked on confused, "she took his place" she finished.

"Then consider his death redemption for your mother and a chance for you to have no competition. You can't deny that you don't have things to gain from his death."

Regina just looked on silently, "hypothetically do you have a way of killing him?" Hook asked.

"You mean without using the knife and actually becoming the dark one myself?" Regina asked.

"Yes, a way of killing him and avoiding that messy aftermath"

"Yes" Regina replied after a moment.

"Then you will help me?" Hook asked.

"Come back in two days, I have things to figure out." Regina explained

"Figure out?" Hook asked.

"If the plan is to work I will have to make arrangements, I need time. Come see me in a two days and then we will kill your crocodile." Regina said.

"So we have a deal?" Hook asked.

"Yes we have a deal, now get out of my house." Regina finished, making her way over to the door and opening it up. As she did she turned to see Mary Margaret, David and Emma standing on her landing, David's hand raised as if he were about to knock.

"Well it seems I am just a popular person today" Regina said as she glanced over at Hook who made his way across Regina's foyer and out of the door, dipping his non-existent hat to the Charmings on his way out.

"Am I correct in assuming you wanted to come in?" Regina asked turning and looking to the crowd standing on her landing.

"Yes" Mary Margaret said as she lead her family inside the Mayor's home.

They settled in the living room, Regina sitting on a chair facing the others who had sunken low in the couch opposite her.

"How are you feeling Regina?" Mary Margaret asked trying to break the silence.

"As well as can be expected, but I am guessing that that is not why you are here." Regina replied.

"Yes, well we wanted to inform you of some things that happened while you were in the hospital" David said.

"Is that so?" Regina prompted.

"Well first of all" Emma said, clearing her throat nervously, when Henry and I were gone with Gold, we found Gold's son, but we also found Henry's father." Emma explained.

"Oh I know" Regina said.

"You do?" Mary Margaret asked confused.

"Gold told me, it was lovely getting the news from him, so if that is all you had to tell me you may be on your way." Regina said tersely.

"That isn't quite all" David said.

"I must have missed quite an exciting week" Regina replied rolling her eyes.

"We've been growing magic beans" Mary Margaret replied.

"What?" Regina replied, not expecting this comment.

"We are planning on returning to the Enchanted Forest once the crop is large enough and it is almost time. We would like for you to come as well."

"To be what, locked up, exiled to a land far away from my son?" Regina asked.

"No not at all, we could use your help in rebuilding the Enchanted Forest, you do know something about leading, and if you really are serious about changing."

"I am" Regina replied, her voice cracking.

"Great" Emma said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"How long have you been growing these beans?" Regina asked.

"About a month I guess" David answered.

"So you have kept it a secret from me, did you plan on leaving me behind?"

"We weren't sure what to do" Mary Margaret answered hesitantly, "but after you spoke to me last, I made up my mind."

"So glad to hear my fate was in your hands" Regina said coldly.

"Look we didn't come here to be attacked" David said.

"And I didn't invite you in so I could be insulted in my own house." Regina replied back.

A silence fell over the group.

"Well at least let me help then. The beans are out in the open I assume." Regina asked. The group sitting in front of her nodded, "then they are in danger. Let me take some of them, care for them inside. I can hide them." Regina said.

"I don't know if that would be the best idea" David started.

"I think it sounds wonderful, thank you for your help" Mary Margaret interrupted.

"Was that all then?" Regina asked, severely hoping that it was.

"Yes" Emma replied.

"Well you came, you spoke, now you may leave" Regina said standing, "thank you for including me in your plans, I will see you tomorrow with the beans" Regina finished and she walked out of the living room and opened the front door for the Charmings.

As soon as they had left Regina sat down at her table, with her hands in her hands. She had made a deal with Hook to help kill Rumplestiltskin. And the only way to do that would be to use the trigger. Destroying Storybrooke as well, but now she was also in league with the Charmings to leave and rebuild the Enchanted Forest. But maybe it was best, with them she now had a way out. She could leave with the town, trap Gold, and then destroy the town and him along with it. The man who had made her and the curse that made her evil would all be destroyed in one simple act.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, I'm back. I finished my other story so I should be able to update this more regularly now. It is my goal to finish this story before the show comes back. And I don't think that I have too many chapters left...but anyways, let me know what you think. Thanks.**

* * *

Regina set up a glass dome that could safely house the beans in her mayoral office. There was a security system installed and the first place that people would check was her home; it seemed that half the town had forgotten she was even mayor so perhaps they had forgotten after her office as well.

A knock came from the door, Regina walked over to check the security system to see Emma, Mary Margaret, and David carrying a rather large crate. She buzzed them in and stood in front of her desk waiting for them to enter, enjoying the view of her marble office. When she left Storybrooke she would miss it, the way it made her feel, but perhaps it was best to start over.

The trio walked in the door and David sat down the crate slightly out of breath, shaking out his arms.

"The beans as you requested." David said.

"Thank you, if you could just set them up over there they will be safe from both the outside elements and anyone who wishes to harm the beans." Regina said gesturing to the setup she had made.

David subtly rolled his eyes before unpacking the crate and transferring the beans to their new home.

"I'm doing this to help you you know, you don't have to treat me as an enemy." Regina said.

"Yes I know, thank you Regina we really do appreciate it" Mary Margaret said.

"And I explained the plan to Henry last night, he is thrilled with it and very happy that you are coming, he asked about you specifically." Emma said.

Regina smiled, "did he really?"

"Yes." Emma said, smiling back at the woman, understanding her desire to change.

"So when do we leave, all the town is coming?" Regina asked.

"All the town is invited yes, and we were going to tell them at the town meeting later this week. Obviously the beans only open a portal for a short amount of time, so we will split up into groups, open a portal and send as many through until it closes and then use another bean. We have plenty so we should be able to take everyone who wants to go. As long as they are punctual, we don't want to leave anyone behind but we need to be conscious of our time restraint. We will explain this very clearly at the meeting, make sure everyone understands." David explained.

"And this plan, it isn't up for discussion?" Regina questioned.

"I think it is the best plan we've got. The people trust us and we aren't forcing them to come, they can stay if they want."

"But who would choose that." Regina said with a shrug.

"My thoughts exactly." David said. "So do you need anything else?"

"No" Regina said, "I will see you at the town meeting. I will announce the plan with you. After all you said that you need my help restoring the Enchanted Forest, and I would love so much to help." Regina said.

"Of course." Mary Margaret said, "And perhaps you could come over for dinner tomorrow night. We are a family after all."

"Yes that sounds lovely dear."

Hook knocked on her door midday the next day, walking in with his normal swagger, seeming more confident that he had the last time they spoke.

"So are you ready to rid yourself of your puppeteer?" Hook asked.

"We don't kill him yet" Regina responded.

"What we had a deal" Hook said, stepping closer to her.

"I said I would make my arrangements and I have. Tomorrow there will be an announcement; the residents are leaving Storybrooke to return to the Enchanted Forest. And I have a way of destroying Storybrooke, so if we trap your crocodile here and once we return to the Enchanted Forest I can use this device and he will die."

"When I am in another realm?"

"It is his death all the same." Regina replied as Hook paced obviously not pleased by this plan. "Are you sure you want this Hook? That revenge is what is best for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think she would want this?" Regina asked.

"What do you know about her…I told you nothing." Hook said as he paced forward and placed his Hook threateningly under Regina's chin.

She pushed it down calmly, "I guessed Hook, you and I aren't so different you know? And I learned that he didn't want revenge he wanted me to forgive."

"Forgiveness isn't really my thing" Hook said, backing off slightly.

"And after this all, after your crocodile is dead, what will you do then. You think you will be happy?" Regina asked.

"Well you said we would be in the Enchanted Forest, I suspect the same old life, traveling the seas, except I will have this immense weight of my chest. And yes, maybe even be happy." Hook said with a smile.

"I don't think things are that simple." Regina answered.

"Look we made a deal, and this must be done, so what can we do, this device do you have it."

"No, we must fetch it." Regina said.

"Well great, let's get going then" Hook said as he walked over to the door of Regina's mansion and held it open for her.

As they walked into the library Regina glanced down at Hook's arm and noticed something new, a leather cuff that once belonged to her mother.

"That" she said, pointing to the bracelet. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh this old thing, can't remember, I believe it was a gift…"

"It was my mother's" Regina said.

"Yes she gave it to me, we were friends."

"And I was her daughter…and now I have nothing to remember her by." Regina said sadly as they walked towards the elevator.

"What so you want this old piece of cowhide. Here take it before you get all sentimental." Hook said as it took it off is wrist and handed it over to Regina. She felt its smooth texture under her hands, the same texture that her mother once felt. The bracelet always seemed odd to Regina, not matching with the rest of Cora's more regal clothing. It looked like a thing any commoner would wear, she asked her mother about it once and she only gave some obscure answer about the importance of remembering where one comes from. Well Regina knew where she came from, from Cora, and it was with that thought that she placed the bracelet around her wrist.

Hook approached the elevator. "So we need to go down then?" he prompted.

"Yes" Regina replied.

"Well then what are you waiting for?"

"I can't do this." Regina said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"I can't start my new life with destruction and killing. I am trying to be different, better than I was before. And this is what the Evil Queen would do, not me."

"Have you forgotten love, you are the Evil Queen."

"Not anymore" Regina said as she shook her head.

"Are you sure?" Hook asked, almost as if he was pleading.

"Yes" Regina answered.

"Fine, then you leave me no choice. It is unfortunate really, I thought I felt a connection between us. We could have done great things together, but you broke our deal." Hook said as he whistled. Regina looked around confused and saw Owen and Tamara walking towards her with what looked like a black bag.

"Hello again Regina" Owen said as he neared her.

Regina raised her hand to summon magic, just enough to push them back and allow her time to escape.

"Yeah, that won't be working anymore" Regina started to tug on the bracelet, realizing almost instantly that it was the source of her new troubles.

"And I don't think you will be able to get that off either, you see I work with something more powerful than magic…science. And right now that bracelet is counteracting every magic bone in your body."

"And why do this, to find your father, I told you I don't know where he is." Regina said.

"Oh I think you do, but no that is not why I am doing this." Owen answered.

"Then why?" Regina asked.

"Oh I'm not telling you that" Owen said with a chuckle before the tone of his voice changed drastically, "Bag Her."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey. I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of the characters. Thanks for reading my story, please let me know what you think in reviews. Thanks!**

* * *

Regina tried to rip the bag off of her face, to kick and punch at whoever was around her but she felt strong arms restraining her, "relax love, fighting it won't do you any good." Came the pirate's voice before she felt herself losing consciousness.

Daniel was suddenly at her side, but he was transparent as if he wasn't really there. He looked worried and somewhat preoccupied, as if he was watching something she couldn't see.

"Daniel what is it?" Regina asked.

He shook his head and gave a smile, "You've been doing well, stay strong now and remember what is important."

"Daniel?" Regina asked. Daniel just smiled and kissed her forehead before fading away.

"Regina" came a voice, not quite so gentle as Daniel's. She opened her eyes and saw herself in a cold room, lying on a table, she tried to get up but found that she was strapped down. Looking up she saw Hook watching her.

"Hook what are you doing?"

"Getting my happy ending love." Hook responded

Regina looked at him confused before he elaborated, "I made another deal, they will help me get my happiness…if I give them you."

"And how can two stranger's help you kill Rumplestiltskin, they know nothing of our ways."

"I think you will find they do." Hook replied.

"And you trust them to return on their side of the deal. You don't have to do this, just unstrap me and we can go. We'll find a way for you to be happy."

Hook looked down at her sadly for a moment before looking up as Owen entered the room.

"He won't be letting you go, because my dear you are with me now and I would like to ask you some questions." Owen said.

"I don't have anything to tell you." Regina said turning away.

"Is that so?" Owen said as he walked up to her, placing his hands on either side of her so that he was looking down at her face. Regina looked up at him and tried to find the boy that she once knew but couldn't see him. She maintained eye contact, not wanting to look weak. He shifted his arm so that he was pushing his hand into Regina's side where she was still healing. She let out a small cry and tried to pull back.

"Not so all powerful are we? Even the Evil Queen can get hurt." Owen taunted, "you got this protecting your son didn't you. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to him." Owen said.

"You stay away from him." Regina spat, breaking her composure.

"Oh don't worry. You see unlike you we are decent people, my gripe is with you and so it is with you that I have decided to speak. No one else has to get hurt…now I am extremely curious about this whole magic thing."

Regina's face grew pale.

"Yes we know about magic, we've seen it before, and gotten rid of it. Which is what we intend on doing to Storybrooke, and there is nothing you can do about it which is the best part. But first I have a personal matter that I would like to discuss with you…where is my father?" Owen asked.

"I told you I don't know…he left town" Regina said again.

"So you say. He left town…but he never came to find his only son. See I think you do know where he is Regina, and I think you just need some encouragement to be truthful." Owen said as he nodded to a figure outside the door. The woman Tamara walked in, pushing in front of her a large machine with knobs and wires coming out of it. Owen walked over to it and picked up an envelope and opened it up to find a package of electrical leads. He walked over to Regina and started placing them on her, on her forearm and temples. Regina wiggled apprehensively, nervous of what was to come but trying not to show it.

"Hook could you lend me a hand, preferably your good one." Owen asked chuckling quietly to himself.

"Sorry mate, gonna have to say no, when you're interesting in killing Rumplestiltskin, not torturing the Evil Queen…find me." Hook said before he walked out.

_Go get help you stupid pirate_. Regina couldn't help thinking to herself_, there is still hope…that is if you didn't tell them anything_. Suddenly the thought, the possibility of Owen and Tamara finding out about the beans or the trigger crossed Regina's mind. What had they discussed while we was unconscious, why was Daniel so nervous. She should have never trusted that man. Her mind of running in a million different directions at once but was brought back to the present when Owen turned on the machine and she heard it whir to life. He walked over with the cables and started connecting them to the leads he had stuck on her skin earlier. Stall was the only thought that came into Regina's mind. She didn't know what they knew…but she knew she needed more time.

"Is that supposed to scare me." Regina laughed, trying to get back into her old skin that she had been trying to shed for the past week.

"It should" Owen answered. "You see this is how we deal with your kind, and yes it is going to be unpleasant. Exactly how unpleasant…well that depends on you."

Owen walked back over to the machine and hovered his hand over the large button. "Now where is my father?" Regina turned away from him and looked to the ceiling. After a moment she felt pain coursing through her body as if her nerves were all on fire.

* * *

"Can I help make dinner?" Henry said as he bound down the stairs, "my mom is coming isn't she."

"Yes she is." Mary Margaret said with a smile, looking over at the clock which read 5.

"She should actually be getting here soon." David said as he entered the room, "I asked her to come over early so we could discuss the upcoming town meeting."

"And how did she sound when you asked her that?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I didn't actually speak with her, I just left a message." David replied.

"At home or at her office?" Henry asked.

"Both" David said.

"That's weird of her to not answer her phone. She always answers one of the two when I call" Henry replied.

"Hey kid relax I'm sure it's nothing" Emma said as she walked over and ruffled Henry's hair. "But you know what you could do, you could set the table."

"So you don't think anything bad happened?" Henry asked.

"I highly doubt it, but she will be here soon and you know best how your mom likes her table set so…"

"Ok" Henry said as he shrugged and walked over to collect some plates but still couldn't get over the nagging feeling in his mind that everything was not all right.


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own Once Upon a Time. Reviews are appreciated.**

**Also just a note that scenes with Regina are not exactly lined up time wise with the scenes with Henry. Regina's scenes are about 2 hours ahead in time.**

* * *

Regina opened her eyes and tried to take in her surroundings. Owen, or Greg as she knew he now called, had left several minutes ago. It helped Regina to think of the Greg as Owen, the little boy that she knew all those years ago, but it seemed as though he was lost, like she once was. She looked around hoping to see some way that she could escape, she pulled at her restraints but after all of the shocks her limbs were starting to be difficult to control. Between the episodes of being shocked Regina was still in pain, her limbs tingled and a headache had started to grow behind her eyes like they did after her most recent accident. If only she had magic she could undo the restraints or loosen the fastener on the exposed pipe making it fall on Owen, but she couldn't she was helpless.

She heard the door to the adjoining room open and closed her eyes trying to prepare herself for what was coming. As the footsteps approached she turned her head, readying herself to say some quip to Owen, let him know that he could never control her but instead she saw Tamara. Once the woman was closer she put her hand over her mouth and muttered an "Oh God" before moving closer and starting to disconnect the wires from the electrodes still stuck on Regina's body.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think that it would get this far. I know that Greg is a…determined man. He just wants to find his father." Tamara said.

"I told him I don't know where he is." Regina answered back.

"You don't do you" Tamara asked.

"No."

"Well we need to get you out of here, Greg just headed out so I we have time. Like I said Greg is determined and he could very well kill you, but that isn't what I signed up for I'm not a murderer." Tamara said as she continued to disconnect the wires. As she was disconnecting the finger clip Tamara's arm grazed across Regina's own and she winced. Tamara looked down and saw the burn marks on Regina's arms. "I can help you with that; I think we have a first aid kit around here." Tamara said nervously as she looked around. "Is there somewhere that I can take you, I have a car but Greg is on foot so we can get away from him." Tamara said as she moved onto letting Regina out of the straps and then helping her to sit up.

"Thank you" Regina said, still getting used to using those words, "why are you helping me…how did you come to work with Greg?"

"That isn't important right now, a discussion for another time. Right now we should get out of here. Hook told us about your original plan with the beans, my guess is that that is where Greg went, to try to find them. You should probably be protecting them so where should I take you. To your home?" Tamara asked.

Regina turned pale, so it is true Hook did tell them about the plan, they probably knew about the trigger too. But for now the trigger was probably still safe, well hidden and well-guarded, Tamara was right the beans were the most in danger."

"No not my home." Regina answered.

"So the beans aren't at your house?" Tamara asked, sounding almost excited.

"I never said that" Regina said slowly, she wasn't ready to trust this woman, not yet.

Tamara just looked at her eyes for a moment, "No they aren't at your house, but you are also the mayor of this town aren't you, I'm sure you have a secure office. Good place to hide some beans."

Regina's face betrayed her as a look of fear came over her face.

"Thank you for your help" Tamara said, her tone of voice completely cold as she took out a Taser from her jacket and held it up to Regina's neck and pain and darkness engulfed her again.

* * *

Henry sat impatiently had his perfectly set table and drummed his fingers on the edge of the placemat.

"Shouldn't my mom be here by now?" he asked.

"You know your mom Henry, she likes to eat later doesn't she? She probably assumed that dinner was around 7 and it is only 5:45 I wouldn't be too worried." Mary Margaret replied, but she also couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

"But David asked her to come over early to discuss the town meeting and our plan for leaving, and my mom isn't late that isn't like her." Henry responded.

"Maybe she just never got the message." Emma said, trying to calm down Henry.

"That isn't like her either. You're not listening to me, you haven't lived with her the past ten years. Something is wrong, I just feel it. Can't we just go to her house and make sure that everything is okay?" Henry asked.

Emma looked into her son's eyes and saw a determined look that she had seen when he first brought up the idea of Operation Cobra, he wasn't going to back down about this. "Ok kid, he can stop by her house, grab your coat." Emma said.

"I'll come too" Mary Margaret replied, grabbing her coat as well before she, Emma and Henry headed out the door.

* * *

Regina opened her eyes and found herself strapped down and hooked up to the machine once again. Owen leaned over hear body.

"Thanks for the tip, you see you can be honest. Now I want to ask you a very important question again, where is my father?" Owen said as he walked slowly over the machine hovering his hand over the button.

Now that they knew the location of the beans it was even more important she stall. Owen wouldn't do anything until he finished the task of finding out where his father was, and Regina would make sure that took as long as possible.

"I told you he left town" Regina repeated. Owen pressed the button and pain engulfed her, it felt as though every nerve ending was on fire. She thought she could almost hear Owen laughing in the background.

* * *

When they pulled up to 108 Mifflin Street the house was dark. Henry led the group up to the door and rang the doorbell, peaking inside to see if he could see any movement. After a moment he reached down and took the spare key from under the welcome mat and let himself in.

"Mom…wanna come to dinner now." Henry called, but he was only greeted by silence. "I'm gonna go look around to see if I can find her." Henry said before he ran off.

Emma and Mary Margaret stood waiting, hearing Henry's footsteps echoing across the house.

"You don't really think that something bad has happened do you?" Mary Margaret asked, almost as if she was trying to comfort herself.

"I don't think so. I think that Regina is a woman who can take care of himself." Emma responded and she reached her hand into her pocket and took out her phone to check it, a nervous tick that she had. "Oh shit" Emma muttered to herself.

"What is it?" Mary Margaret asked concerned.

"The alarm at Regina's office went off at 3:30 today." Emma said.

"An alarm…something as happened to my mom, come on we need to go and check it out." Henry said before running out of the house and back into the car.

When they walked into Regina's grand office they were greeted by broken glass scattered across the floor. The table that once held the beans stood empty.

"You don't think that Regina took the beans and ran do you?" Emma asked.

"No…she wouldn't" Mary Margaret replied.

"You're right, not without Henry." Emma said shaking her hand.

"So you believe me now? My mom is good, she is changing, she was trying to help you, and now she has been kidnapped or something and we need to help her. We need to save her." Henry pleaded.

"Of course we are going to help her" Emma replied.

"We wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. We call care about her, but where do we start looking?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Mr. Gold probably has some magical way of finding her, we could ask him for help." Henry prompted.

"Henry, Mr. Gold is…tricky to work with. There is always a price, and it is you who you said that it is him who made Regina into the Evil Queen."

"But I am also his grandson…we have to try, for my mom." Henry pleaded looking at them with his best puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, kid, we'll talk to him together." Emma said and trio headed out to seek some help.

* * *

Regina took a deep breath trying to recover from her last shock. Every break between these episodes was becoming more and more painful. Her headache had almost consumed her and her limbs ached. The only comfort she had was that she should sense Daniel, almost as if he was holding her, and he was getting closer. She didn't know how much longer she could stall for. Owen was on the phone and when she heard him hang up Regina readied herself for more pain."

"So Regina that was Tamara, she found the beans, you won't be seeing those again. And Regina I can keep doing this you see pressing a button isn't really that hard, but I'm not sure how much longer you can continue." Owen said.

"I'm stronger than you think." Regina said.

"Well let's test that theory of your, so where is my father?"

"I don't know" Regina answered through clenched teeth before Owen pressed the button and engulfing her in pain once again.

* * *

"So you are telling me that you want help finding Regina?" Mr. Gold asked.

"Yes" Henry said.

"Funny, seems like not long ago you were trying to get rid of her." Mr. Gold responded looking at everyone in the room.

"Look Gold can you help or not?" Emma said impatiently.

"Of course I can help you…I have a potion for pretty much everything." He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a vial. "The person who wants Regina back the most need only drink this and then they will be able to see and hear everything that Regina does for a total of 100 seconds. Hopefully in that time you can find out her location." Mr. Gold said.

"Great…give it to me, I'll take it." Henry said, holding out his hand.

Emma pushed his arm down, "Henry it could be dangerous, plus what is the cost Gold?" Emma asked.

"No price just helping out my grandson." Mr. Gold said.

"See no price" Henry said as he grabbed the vial out of Mr. Gold's hand and downed it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! Even though it is clarified in this chapter I thought I would just mention that the potion that Henry took is different than the one Mary Margaret took in the actual show. It allows him to see and hear what Regina does, but not feel anything that she does, so he doesn't feel her pain. **

**Also depending on the feedback I get I might post the next chapter later today.**

* * *

"Henry!" Emma screamed as she lunged towards him.

"Relax Miss Swan, Henry will be fine, but he only has 100 seconds now so be quiet" Mr. Gold said restraining Emma.

The three adults looked at Henry hopefully as he stood transfixed staring blankly at the space in front of him.

_Regina screamed with the most recent shock. Allowing all the pain that she had tried to keep hidden for these past hours to escape in one blood curdling scream. _

_"Anything to tell me now Regina?" Owen said as he walked over to her. _

_"No" Regina responded through clenched teeth. _

_"Look Regina. I have to give it to you. I didn't see you getting this far. But Tamara already found your beans and I am starting to get impatient so I think I am going to go ahead and speed things up a little." Owen responded before walking back to the machine and turning one of the knobs all the way to its maximum. _

_Regina swallowed and stared at the ceiling. _

_"So Regina, I will ask you again, where is my father." _

_She stayed silent for a moment, "fine" Owen said as he hovered his hand over the button. _

_"Wait" Regina replied. _

Henry blinked and stepped back, his time was up, he found that he was crying.

"Henry are you okay are you hurt?" Emma asked.

"Yes I am fine…I didn't feel anything. But my mom…she was screaming…I've never heard anyone scream like that. We need to help her." Henry pleaded.

"And we will. Do you know where she is? Who took her?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Um…the man Greg, that came to town and visited Mom in the hospital before she had her seizure is the one who is hurting her now, and he mentioned Tamara, he said that she is the one who took Mom's beans."

"Tamara…Neal's fiancé Tamara?" Emma asked.

"I think so." Henry answered.

"Well do you know where she is? Did you see anything helpful?"

"She is in the cannery, they have her hooked up to this machine." Henry replied, sure of himself.

"The cannery…are you sure Henry that is pretty specific." Mary Margaret replied.

"I spent a lot of time hanging out by the beach, sometimes I would explore some of the buildings over there. And the cannery always kind of creeped me out, I recognized it, she is definitely in the cannery. We have to go now!" Henry insisted.

"I'll call David, we may need all the help that we can get." Mary Margaret replied.

The look on Henry's face had gone from one of being worried about his mom, to being scared.

"Yeah, call him, but we need to head over there now. Owen said something about speeding things up and then he turned one of the knobs all the way up on the machine."

"Henry we are ten minutes away." Mary Margaret replied solemnly.

"Well, we better hurry up then" Henry replied anxiously before running out the door to the car.

"So Regina…are you finally going to tell me where my father is?" Owen asked.

"Yes" Regina replied.

"Where?"

"He is dead…I killed him, the minute you left town."

"No he can't be" Owen said angrily as he stomped around the room overturning a nearby table.

"Don't believe me…see for yourself, I buried him at your old camp site." Regina said.

Tamara entered the room at the sound of the overturned table, "Hey is everything okay in here?" she asked.

"Yeah" Owen said as he took a deep breath, walking back over to the machine, "we are almost done here." He pressed his hand down on the button and let it linger as Regina's body spasmed and she screamed out in pain.

When he released his hand her body feel back down onto the table, her breathing was swallow.

"Do you feel that…that is the end of you!" Owen screamed as he pressed down on the button again sending more shocks through Regina's body.

When he released his hand she fell limply onto the table again, her head rolled to one side.

Tamara walked over to where she lay and looked down at the woman. "You did it now come on let's go" Tamara said, walking over to where Owen was standing.

"She killed my father, she has to pay." Owen said angrily as he pressed the button again, Regina's body arched up but she made no sound.

"And she has…now come on let's go, you can pay respects to your father and then we can finish our work here." Tamara said, placing her hand comfortingly on his back.

Owen took a deep breath and allowed his arms to fall to his sides, before walking out of the room and out of the cannery.

Henry leaped out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop and ran inside the cannery.

"Henry, wait for us" Emma called as she and Mary Margaret chased after him after putting the car in park.

Henry ran through the hallways calling for his mother, but no sound came. He came to a door that was open slightly and pushed it open before running inside, "MOM!"

"Henry!" Emma called as she turned the corner and went through the door as well, Mary Margaret only paces behind.

"Mom" Henry said a little more feebly as he walked over to where she say and tried shaking her, but she didn't respond.

"Emma?" he looked up at his birth mother with pleading eyes, "can you help her."

Emma walked over and put two fingers gently on Regina's neck, looking for a pulse.

"I'm so sorry Henry" Emma said.

"NO, she isn't gone. This isn't how her story ends. Mom come back to me" Henry begged.

Mary Margaret stepped forward and started unhooking the wires from the electrodes that Greg and Tamara left on Regina when they left. Letting Regina out of the straps when she came to them.

"Mary Margaret…she is gone." Emma said, watching her mother with a puzzled look as she went determined from one electrode to another.

"But we don't leave her like this….not like this." Mary Margaret replied, looking up at Emma.

David ran into the room, his gun drawn and lowered it once he saw the state of everyone in the room. He walked over to his wife and tried to pull her into a hug, she was practically shaking and tears feel freely but she simply shook David off and continued disconnecting the electrodes.

"Is there anything I can do?" David asked helplessly.

"Find a first aid kit. I would like to have something to put on her burns." Mary Margaret replied. David looked at Emma confused. They both knew there was no reason for treating a dead woman. "Sooner would be better than later" Mary Margaret replied and David left to get the first aid kit in his car.

Emma moved forwards and put a comforting hand on Henry's shoulder, as he clung to his mother. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly whispering, "Please Mom you can't die, I love you."

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**Reviews are appreciated, let me know what you think. If I get enough people asking I might post the next chapter later today instead of tomorrow night.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for all the reviews, a lot from guest reviewers which are always fun to get too. You guys know you can always review that much right? *wink wink* **

**Anyways I hope you enjoy this next chapter, I must admit I shed a few tears while writing it. Please let me know what you think, I am anxious to know.**

* * *

"This is the end of you" were the last words Regina heard before the final shock that sent her into darkness and then into light. When she opened her eyes she saw Daniel holding out his hand to her.

"Is it over?" was all Regina could think to ask.

"Yes" Daniel answered, as a tear fell down his cheek and he took Regina's hand.

"Why are you crying, we are together now aren't we?"

"Yes we are, but I watched you, just like I always do and all those hours of all that pain after everything you have been doing to change. I was…am so proud of you Regina." He responded back as he gently stroked his thumb over her top of her hand.

"But the pain is over now, for both of us." Regina replied back as she kissed him, he was real and he wasn't real. But neither was she anymore, they were both ghosts now, but ghosts together.

"You know I can make this place like anywhere in the world anywhere, that you want to go" Daniel said.

"Firefly Hill" They both said together with a smile, and in a moment they were there.

"Daniel, can I ask you a question?" Regina said as they sat down to a picnic.

"Of course." Daniel said with a smile as he popped a strawberry into his mouth.

"You have been watching me all these years…why?"

"Because I care about you, I never wanted to leave you."

"But it must have been painful, you must have wanted to leave, could you?"

"Yes I could leave, move onto whatever is beyond this place, but I never liked the unknown if I couldn't go there with you. And I suppose it did hurt sometimes, it got lonely, I wanted to talk to you and I couldn't…only watch, but now I we can talk." Daniel said with a smile.

Regina just smiled back, she didn't quite know how to feel, she was thrilled of course that she was back with Daniel, but she couldn't help but mourn for the life that she had lost and feel guilty for trapping Daniel.

All of a sudden Daniel started to cry.

"Daniel what is it?" Regina asked.

"I can still see you, your physical body that is, and…well they've found you." Daniel responded.

"Who is they?" Regina asked, not quite knowing if she really wanted to know.

"Emma, Snow, and Henry" Daniel replied.

Regina's heart broke slightly at the mention of her son's name. "Can I see them too?" She asked.

"Of course." Daniel said and all of a sudden a large mirror appeared before them, allowing Regina to see in too.

"This isn't how her story ends" she could hear her son cry as he clung to her.

"Henry it's alright, I'm happy" Regina said, holding her hand up to the mirror, trying to reach her son but failing. A tear feel from her face and Daniel watched on, not knowing what to do.

Mary Margaret frantically moved around her body freeing her of all the wires and restraints, insisting that they couldn't leave her like this.

"They are all crying for me?" Regina asked.

"You really think I am the only one who loves you?" Daniel asked as a way of response. Regina looked back at Daniel and gently held his face for a moment before turning back to the scene before her.

Henry held on to her in a way that he hadn't since he one week when he was five and had a fever that gave him terrible nightmares. She slept in a chair next to his bed and whenever he woke from whatever nightmare he had been trapped in he would cling to her like she was the only thing that could keep him safe, and she intended to do that, but now she was gone.

David had entered the room now, tried to comfort Mary Margaret, but she didn't want it, she just kept fusing over Regina.

Henry kissed Regina on her forehead and told her that he loved her.

All of a sudden there was a clang as the leather cuff loosened and fell so that it just barely held on around Regina's wrist.

Henry lifted his head and took it off Regina's wrist and looked at it.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I don't know…something must have happened to Regina's magic or else this would have not happened, perhaps that is what caused it." Mary Margaret said, trying to come up with any explanation.

Regina was confused, how Mary Margaret figured something like that out so easily. She turned back to Daniel and felt a light tug at her heart as she saw him flicker for a moment.

"Daniel what is happening?" Regina asked, trying to hold on to him.

"I don't know…but if I could guess I would say that Henry's kiss broke whatever it was keeping that cuff on you, and now that it is off magic is returning, and you can too…if you so wish"

"And leave you?" Regina asked.

"It is up to you." Daniel responded.

Regina looked back and saw Henry and Mary Margaret crying and David and Emma standing there frozen in shock, not knowing the proper way to comfort the two.

"I think they need me" Regina said turning back to Daniel.

"I think you might be right" Daniel said, with a smile, trying to hide the fact that he just wanted her to stay.

"Daniel I want you to do something for me" Regina said.

"Anything" Daniel replied back kissing her hand.

"Leave."

"What?"

"I don't want to trap you here, I will be okay, you can explore the unknown without me, I know you will be fantastic wherever you go."

"But I don't know how to…" Daniel replied.

"I have faith in you…just promise me." Regina asked, felling the pull on her heart getting stronger, knowing she didn't have much longer to make her decision.

"Fine, for you I promise, but I need you to promise me something in return." Daniel said.

"What is that."

"Love again" Daniel said.

"But…"

"I want you to be happy, I thought we could be that way together, but it seems fate had different plans. So love again, for me."

"I'll try" Regina replied and she stepped closer to Daniel giving him a kiss, before stepping back and looking back to the world she had just left.

"Goodbye Regina" Daniel said, holding onto her hand.

"Goodbye Daniel" Regina replied, as she let go of his hand and let herself be pulled away.

As she got closer the pain returned, her lungs felt restricted as she gasped for breath.

"MOM" Henry called.

"Hi Henry"


	16. Chapter 16

_**Hey. Sorry it has been a couple of days, I have spent every waking moment until now doing homework. And then there was a case of the writer's block...so if this chapter seems off that is why. I am hoping I will slip back into it, I had everything up to the last chapter planned so now I am making it up as I go. So if you have any suggestions let me know and I might be able to work it in. **_

_**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter and let me know what you think (I promise it won't make you cry like the last 2 did).**_

* * *

"MOM" Henry said again relieved as he hugged her.

Regina just took a deep breath and held onto him as if he was the only thing keeping her in this world, because after all it was him that called her back.

As Henry pulled back Regina tried to push herself up but had some trouble, her arms felt weak, their muscles fatigued from her most recent ordeal. Seeing her struggle Mary Margaret moved forward to help her up, and held on to her slightly as Regina swung her legs over the sides of the table. Once Regina was sitting upright she was hit by a wave of light headedness and clung to Mary Margaret.

"It's okay, I've got you you're okay now." The woman said comfortingly, looking up Regina could see streaks on her face from where she must have been crying.

"Regina…I don't mean to be rude…but when we got here you were dead." Emma said, slowly recovering from the shock of seeing someone come back to life.

"Yes Miss Swan, I am very aware of that." Regina answered; her voice was hoarse and raspy.

"But how…?"

"The cuff stopped my magic, Henry broke whatever kept it on my wrist and once my magic started returning to my body I could too if I so wanted." Regina explained.

"You chose to come back?" Henry asked.

"You really think that I would leave you." She said with a smile.

"They stole your beans" Emma said.

"Yes I know…I didn't mean to tell them where they were but they tricked me…"

"Don't worry about that now, we are just glad you are safe" Mary Margaret responded, squeezing Regina's hand.

"The beans aren't the only think that we need to worry about. Greg and Tamara…I think they will be looking for a trigger." Regina started to explain.

"A trigger?" David asked.

"A device that will destroy Storybrooke and kill all of those born in the Enchanted Forest who are living here…it undoes the curse." Regina explained.

"This has always existed and you never thought to tell us."

"It is well hidden…I never intended on using it."

"And why worry about it now…why do they know about it."

"Hook and I were going to get it, but Hook was working for Greg and Tamara and so…he told them about the beans I am just assuming he told them about the trigger."

"Regina why were you getting the trigger?" David asked, Regina was starting to feel like this was an interrogation.

"I wasn't going to use it until after we all left…Hook wanted to kill Gold and we would all be out danger, I didn't think there would be harm in it." Regina explained.

"That is murder." David said.

"I know…which is why I couldn't go through with it, I am done with destroying, you can trust me I am not your enemy Charming! When I changed my mind, said I couldn't go through with it, that is when they took me." Regina shuttered a bit at this, she had tried to be good but all it had lead to was pain like none she had ever felt before. But she had to keep trying.

"Shh..Regina it is okay, it is all over now, they won't hurt you anymore." Mary Margaret tried to comfort her.

"Didn't you listen to me? It is not all over, and they can still hurt us. All of us, they have an obsession with destroying magic." Regina said, "Now we have to go, they are probably looking for it now, we have to find it before they do and stop them."

"Like a quest?" Henry asked, sounding more excited than scared.

"Yes Henry like a quest." Regina replied as she stood up but found herself stumbling, it turned out that like her arms, her legs also felt a lot like jelly.

"Regina you need to rest…we can take care of it." Mary Margaret replied, catching Regina before she fell.

"No…I'll be fine in a moment." Regina said. The whole group just looked at her doubtfully.

"Seems I am missing a party" A voice came from the door. They all turned to see a pirate standing leaning against the door frame.

"Hook" David said, before walking up and punching the man in the face.

"Well that is one way to say hello."

"What are you doing here Hook?" David asked again.

"I ran into Greg and Tamara, I asked them about Rumplestiltskin and they just said he would perish when the town does…turns out not the nicest of folks. Anyways, then I asked them about Regina and they said she had died, that they left her here. I didn't think that was proper…" Hook said.

"Well as you can see I am not dead, no thanks to you." Regina responded.

"I didn't think they would kill you, I never intended on that, but you broke our deal."

"And you have a big mouth, I know you told them about the beans, I am assuming they know about the trigger too?" Regina asked.

"They know that there is something down at the bottom of the elevator…but I didn't tell them what it does."

"Well there just might be hope for you yet." Regina replied, "have they gone down."

"No...something about collecting data." Hook said, "I am assuming you plan to protect it from them?"

"No I plan on letting the maniacs that tried to kill me destroy this town." Regina responded.

"Always the clever one." Hook replied.

"Why are you still here…I am alive, why haven't you left."

"Whatever you are going…I want to help." Hook replied.

"And why should we trust you." David asked.

"Because my interests align with yours, I don't want to die. Plus I was thinking about our conversation Regina…so I would like to help, after all Greg and Tamara still trust me." Hook said.

"He could be like a double agent" Henry replied enthusiastically.

"I like the sound of that." Hook replied, "so when do we begin?"


	17. Chapter 17

**So I feel like I am getting back into the rhythm of this, or at least I hope so. If you think so, let me know, if you disagree also let me know, I want to make this story as good as I can and by letting me know what you like and don't like you can assist me in this process and I would be ever so grateful. **

**I won't be updating this story as much as I have been, but should still update twice a week at least, it is starting to be exam time in school. **  
**Anyways, enjoy the story and review to let me know what you think.**

* * *

"So when do we begin?" Hooks's question hung in the air, no one knowing how to respond, whether to accept or turn him down. After a moment Henry had started to bounce a little, excited with the idea of another operation, probably trying to come up with an appropriate name. At the end of the question Regina put her head in her hands, from a mixture of confusion a lingering pulsing pain from Greg's torture.

Emma broke the silence, "Hook you can't just walk in here and expect us to trust you to help us save Storybrooke."

"You do want to save Storybrooke though?"

"Well yes of course we do."

"And how can you do that without information about Greg and Tamara and their plans." Hook asked tauntingly.

"We'll figure something out." Emma replied.

"I don't need to help you, I'm just offering." Hook replied.

"You do realize you are the reason that we are in this position in the first place?"

"What can I say, we all make mistakes, all I'm asking for is a second chance."

"Some people deserve second chances…others do not." David replied stepping closer.

"And how do you decide who deserves second chances? What gives you that right?" Hook replied, raising his voice slightly.

"I decide…carefully…by reading people" David replied, raising his voice in turn.

"And how do you read me Charming?" Hook asked.

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST BE QUIET" Regina yelled, standing up from where she was sitting before she started falling again. Mary Margaret moved forwards to catch her help her to stand.

"Look…if you weren't all aware I was just tortured for the past couple hours and honestly all of this…well it isn't much of an improvement. The truth is we do need to save this town from those monsters and Hook could really be a help."

"Thank you" Hook replied, with a confident smirk.

"Not so fast" Regina replied, glaring at Hook, "it must also be considered that you are an untrustworthy snake and your recent actions don't speak well for you. So although we could use your help we aren't going to take your word that could only get us in more trouble that if we had never worked with you in the first place. I don't know about these others but I am not an idiot." Regina finished her sentence before gasping for breath slightly.

"And so what do you suggest Regina." Hook asked.

"I can perform a spell, it will allow me to see what you do, I can watch you interact with Greg and Tamara, if you try to double cross us we will know."

"I think that is quite an invasion of privacy don't you?" Hook asked.

"I don't think you are in a position to complain, now I will make a decision for us all, you can help us, if you allow us to use this spell." Regina said again, in a very final tone.

"Regina are you sure that you should be using magic…you are still pretty weak." Mary Margaret said hesitantly.

"We need to save this town and this is going to be the way to do it, now is we all on the same page?" Regina asked looking around at the group.

The majority of them seemed solemn, unsure of what to say, but somehow Henry looked even more excited. He should have guessed from her past that Regina would be good at making a plan, and he was thrilled to see that in this case it was for good.

"Fine" Hook said, "fine" the rest of the group echoed slightly after.

"Fantastic, now if you don't mine let's get out of here, go to my house…the sooner we get started the better." Regina said as she started to walk forwards, still clinging onto Mary Margaret for support. Hook moved forwards and allowed Regina to put her arm around his shoulder as they made their way out of the cannery.

Regina sat down comfortably on her couch, glad to finally not have to be relying on other people for physical support. A mirror sat down next to her on one side and Henry on the other, the rest of the group filling the room.

"Well shall we get started?" Hook asked.

"Yes" Regina responded, "Hook if you would come over here" he made his way, raising his eyes flirtatiously at Regina, it seemed there was a switch in him that he was unable to turn off regardless of the situation. Regina simply rolled her eyes before picking up the mirror and turning back to Hook.

"This may feel a little funny." She said.

"Do your worst." Hook responded.

Regina held up her hand and concentrated until a purple haze seemed to emanate from her hand. She waved her hand in front of Hook's face and while she did an imaged slowly appeared in the mirror. As she went on Regina forced her concentration more, her magic was still weak and this was a more complicated spell. Her arm started to twitch and finally after a moment she allowed her arm to fall at her side.

"Mom are you okay?" Henry asked.

"Yes, it is done."

"How does it work?" Henry asked, Regina picked up the mirror and her own face was looking back at her.

"What is so special it is a mirror?" Henry asked, slightly underwhelmed.

"Hook is you wouldn't mind turning around." Regina said.

As he did the image in the mirror rotated around the room until it was the figure of Emma, David and Mary Margaret in the mirror instead.

"So it shows what Hook sees…cool" Henry said.

"Yes and it will allow it to hear him too…we are ready to start." Regina said.

"Great, I'll just be going then." Hook replied as he started to walk away.

"Hook wait…now that we know that you can't lie to us, I need some sort of test that Greg and Tamara will be honest with you." Regina said.

"And how to you expect to do that…have another spell?" Hook asked.

"No…just a question."

"And what is that."

"And Owen…Greg…about the first time we met, ask him what we had for dinner."


	18. Chapter 18

**Here is the next chapter. Please let me know what you think. How I explain the events at the end of Welcome to Storybrooke with Owen and his father is referencing a story I wrote earlier entitles I Killed Him. **

**Anyways enjoy and please review**

Henry sat by Regina's bedside, his hand gently resting on her own. After quite a lot of convincing the group had gotten Regina to lay down and rest, promising that they would themselves watch the mirror and wake Regina if Greg and Tamara appeared in the glass. It didn't take long after she laid down in her own bed for her to drift off to sleep. Henry had refused the leave her side, scared that he would lose her again. A purple haze lightly surrounded her body as though it was seeping into her, her magic returning as her body healed, each helping the essential cycle. Henry realized that even though he had wanted his mother not to use magic so badly before, if he wanted her back it was something that was going to need to be a part of her, she couldn't heal without it.

Mary Margaret lightly knocked on the door before letting herself in, holding the mirror in one hand.

"Is there any change?" Henry asked.

"No…I'm not sure where Hook is right now, but if I had to guess I would say he is on his ship, that must be where they said they would meet up."

"Oh okay." Henry responded before turning back to his mother, yawning slightly.

"Henry you should go to bed." Mary Margaret said.

"I think I will sit with her for a while longer." Henry said yawning again.

"Henry…it is late, and this has been a long exhausting day. If you are going to be strong enough to help us with this new mission of ours you are going to need to need some rest. Your Mom isn't going anywhere, she is safe now." Mary Margaret said gently.

"You will stay with her?" Henry asked.

"Yes I promise"

"Ok then…I guess I am a little tired." Henry said with another yawn as he stood up to make his way out of the room. When he reached the threshold he turned around nervously again looking at Regina.

"I will take care of her…good night Henry." Mary Margaret said, finally convincing Henry to leave the room and get some well needed rest. She took the seat that he had vacated and looked down at Regina and then back to the mirror before she saw two figures getting closer in the glass.

"Regina" Mary Margaret said, gently shaking her.

"Henry?" Regina asked opening her eyes slowly.

"No Regina it is me, Mary Margaret, but something is happening in the mirror."

Regina blinked reorienting herself to her surroundings before reaching out her hand and saying, "give it here."

Mary Margaret gave the mirror over and saw some purple light travel from Regina's hand, up the handle of the mirror up and around the frame as it began to make noise. The two women could hear the clicking of Tamara's heels on the dock leading to Hook's boat before the pirate's voice was heard.

"So have you taken care of your business?" Hook asked.

"Yes, I went to the campsite…I found my father." Greg said, his voice breaking slightly and Tamara gently squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm truly sorry." Hook responded.

"And did you take care of your business?" Tamara asked.

"Yes…Regina is with her family now, they will take care of her body from here." Hook said.

"No doubt the town is rejoicing…Ding Dong the Witch is Dead and all that jazz." Tamara responded with a smirk.

"Do you mind if I ask a question." Hook asked, he took the silence as a yes before he continued.

"Regina…how did you and your father cross paths with her…how did you first meet?"

Greg looked up and cleared his throat before responding, "we were camping and then the town just appeared, our car was broken down, we were happy to see civilization but we should have just ran because once that witch saw us…we were unexpected and had to be taken care of. She invited us over for dinner and then asked us to stay, I think she somehow saw herself as fitting into our family, and when she couldn't be a part of it she decided to destroy it instead. When we said no and she realized she couldn't have us she tried to take me, but my father wouldn't have that so we ran. My father gave me time to get away, I expected him to find me but he never did…now I know it was because she killed him." Greg finished, as he clutched his key chain.

"What did she make you dinner?" Hook asked.

"What…why does that matter?" Greg asked.

"I don't know…what can I say, I'm a foodie" Hook said.

"Lasagna…then we made apple turnover's for dessert…I should have known from that that she was the Evil Queen…now Hook do you have any more questions?" Greg asked.

"Yes…what next?"

"Now we find whatever it is that Regina and you were going to get…and then we ripe this town off the map." Greg said angrily.

"So did he pass the test…was Greg telling the truth about your question?" Mary Margaret said, turning to look at Regina and not at the mirror and saw a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Yes" Regina responded.

"Regina…what is it." Mary Margaret responded.

"It all went so wrong." Regina simply said as she shook her head.

"What do you mean?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Owen was such a sweet kid...he was in pain when we met, he had lost his mother and others were treating him funny. He asked me why I wasn't a mom, and ever since he asked that question it nagged at me for 18 years during the curse, it lead me to adopting Henry which is the best decision that I ever made. But I didn't mean for Owen to get hurt more…I didn't mean for his father to die." Regina said.

"Then…what happened?" Mary Margaret asked, sensing that Regina still had more to tell.

"I wanted a family…I thought they could be it. Graham and I chased his father that is true, but once Owen ran away I saw…I saw that his father just wanted to have his son back. So I offered him help to find Owen, let them go and who knows maybe they would come back to me of their own accord. It was early days of the curse it had not completely set in yet and not even I understood it fully. Once we crossed the town line it affected Graham, he didn't lose is memory but there was an accident…and Owen's father died." Regina finished.

"Regina…don't blame yourself it was an accident." Mary Margaret said.

"And now Greg is trying to blow Storybrooke off the map…and it isn't just me that I need to worry about, there is Henry, if anything happens to him…" Regina started.

"We won't let that happen, Regina you are not alone…so we better figure out Greg's plan so we can stop him." Mary Margaret said.

Regina nodded and turned back to the mirror, Greg started speaking again.

"We need to hear back from the home office about what we have found so far and then we will move onto the next step." Greg said.

"And how long will that be?" Hook asked.

"About a week" Tamara responded, "and then the real fun starts."


	19. Chapter 19

**I don't have much to say about this chapter, it is a longer one. And as always please review, guest reviews are always welcome (I have enjoyed reading the ones I have gotten)**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter.**

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"It's been three days…honestly I'm fine. What more are you waiting for?" Regina responded to the group exasperated, after they had once again suggested that they wait a little longer before they go after the trigger.

"Maybe you should wait until you get more of your strength back." David suggested.

"I've told you…I don't have any more strength to get back, I am back just because I'm not setting things on fire doesn't mean I don't have my strength back." Regina responded.

"I don't think that is what David meant Regina" Mary Margaret responded.

"Look…we have to be practical here. Greg and Tamara will be going after the trigger in a matter of days, and I don't want it to be a race to the finish. We should have it in our hands before they even start looking, that way it is us who can being waiting for them." Regina said.

"I can see where Henry got all his Operation Cobra plan making from." Emma responded from the background as she slowly sipped her cup of coffee.

"What?" Regina asked.

"It is just that I knew Henry was good at making plans, I now see that talent of his didn't come from nowhere." Emma explained.

"I will take that as a compliment…now are you with me?" Regina asked.

"So explain to me once more where we are looking for and what is waiting for us down there." David asked.

"The trigger is in the casket that Mary Margaret was in under the sleeping curse, and guarding the entire area is Maleficent." Regina said.

"I thought she was dead." David asked.

"In a way, she is now in another form and just as deadly…so one of us needs to distract Maleficent while the other goes for the trigger."

"So you go talk to Maleficent and I'll grab the trigger" David said.

"She isn't my biggest fan…she is not the only one." Regina answered solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"The town thinks I am dead yes?" Regina asked.

"Yes, we thought that was best so that Greg and Tamara didn't end up hearing otherwise." David answered.

"And yet they only seem to be wearing brighter colors." Regina responded.

"They are all mourning in their own way, and they will celebrate once they realize that the person who saved their town is alive, now let's get going." David responded.

"So you agree it is time?" Regina asked.

"Time for what?" Asked the pirate as he opened the door.

"We are going to retrieve the trigger, get our hands on it before Greg and Tamara even start looking" David replied.

"Great let's get going, I'm been craving some action" Hook said as he turned around and headed towards the door.

"You're not coming." David said.

"What….seriously you still don't trust me. I have been your little puppy dog for these past days. Keeping my eyes on Greg and Tamara, sneaking into this house in secret, what more do you want?"

"Continue doing what you are doing…but no I do not trust you for a job like this not yet." David explained.

"Regina…" Hook turned to Regina, David may have been doing most of the talking, but he knew she was making the decisions.

"…he can come." She said.

"Regina!" David exclaimed, "do you not remember what happened the last time you went there with him."

"…That was under different circumstances. You can come too Charming, don't throw a fit."

"But."

"It is final, You, me and Hook should head there now. Hook where are Greg and Tamara, any chance they could walk into the library anytime soon?" Regina asked.

"Haven't you been watching…they are at their camp in the woods, and I think we should be safe for the next hour or so at least." Hook said.

"Good, we better hurry up then" Regina answered, heading towards the door.

Just then Henry bound down the stairs, "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To get the trigger, we need to get it before Greg and Tamara." Regina said.

"I want to help" Henry said excitingly and he made his way over to the landing.

"No Henry it is much too dangerous."

"Please, I can be look out, Emma taught me." Henry responded.

"Miss Swan?" Regina said looking over at Emma.

"I umm…" Emma responded nervously.

"Please Mom, let me help. I want to protect Storybrooke too." Henry said, looking up at Regina with big puppy dog eyes.

"Fine" Regina said, "Miss Swan would you like to join us as well, you can keep Henry company."

"I don't need a babysitter" Henry said.

"I know you don't, but if you want to come, you and Emma can be on look out together, now do we have a deal?" Regina asked.

"Yeah" Henry said after a moment, the pout on his face turning to a smile before he ran out the door and the rest of the group followed.

* * *

"So one of us stays at the top and lets the other's down?" Hook asked, standing in front of the elevator. Henry and Emma were a block away, in the route that Greg and Tamara would have to take to arrive at the library.

"No, I can use magic that way we all can go down." Regina replied, before waving her hand and allowing the steel door and the grate in front of the elevator to open.

"And this will hold Regina?" David asked.

"Yes…it will hold, but don't worry this is the least of our problems." Regina replied, before getting on herself, before she waiting for the others to get on as well. She then waved her hand and the floor beneath them dropped as their decent started.

David was quick to get out of the elevator once it had reached the bottom.

"So what is the plan, you distract the guard and I grab the trigger?" David asked as they made their way through the mine tunnels.

"Yes, I will point out where to go. I'm sure you will recognize the casket, the trigger is in a pouch and it looks like a diamond." Regina explained. "I should be able to make sure you are able to get there safely."

"I'll go with you Regina, wouldn't want something bad to happen." Hook said.

Charming reached towards his gun.

"I mean it, it was not a threat. I am here to help remember." Hook said.

"Well if we are all in agreement, then let's get to work." Regina said as they finally reached a stone landing at the top of what looked like a cross between a quarry and a cave. "David, the trigger is over there." Regina pointed and allowed a beam of light to shine up from its location. "When you have it and are back here whistle and Hook and I will come back."

David nodded and at that Regina went off, making her way carefully down the cliff face. Hook had to run to keep up with her.

"MALIFICENT" Regina yelled once she was at the bottom.

"What are you don't, isn't she deadly?" Hook asked.

"Yes…and that is precisely why we want her over here and not over by David…plus she wouldn't hurt me I don't think." Regina said.

"But didn't you make her this way?" Hook asked again.

"Technically" Regina responded and before she could explain anymore the ground started to shake slightly, the small rocks moving together as if there was some sort of attraction that they shared. A high pitched moan could be heard and the skeletal form of what only could be described as a monster appeared before them. It wore red robes which had been torn and a head dress of gold in the shape of horns.

"Hello old friend" Regina said.

"Regina" the high pitched moan sounded as it stepped towards her, raising its hand.

"Regina?" Hook asked, reaching for his sword.

"Leave it Hook" Regina replied, as she kept eye contact with Maleficent.

Maleficent stepped forward and grabbed Regina around her neck, pushing her up against the rock face before wheezing, "you made me this"

"Regina!" Hook said again, running towards her. Maleficent reached out her other hand, sending Hook flying in the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry" Regina said, in a high pitched voice, her airway restricted.

"You made me this" Maleficent replied again.

"I can help you" Regina said, "change you into a woman again." Maleficent let her grip on Regina loosen.

"We both know that that isn't possible…I am dead." Maleficent responded, "your spell traps me here."

"Then I will let you go, or send you back to the Enchanted Forest, whatever you want, just help me save my family." Regina said.

"And why should I?" Maleficent asked.

"Because you're my friend." Regina said.

"Friend's don't do this."

"I'm sorry…just let me go. More people might come in a couple of days, they are dangerous. But once they are taken care of, I will come back here, break the spell that keeps you here." Regina said.

The sound of David's whistle sounded throughout the caverns. Hook stood up and looked over at Regina hesitantly.

"Just let us go now." Regina said. She could feel Maleficent cursed eyes bearing into her soul and she looked into them pleading.

Maleficent removed her hand from Regina's neck, letting it fall to her side before stepping back.

"See you later friend" Maleficent said in a slightly taunting voice.

Regina simply nodded, before she ran over to Hook and grabbed is hand, leading him up to the landing.

"What the hell happened to you two?" David asked, noting the trickle of blood running down Hook's forehead and the bruising forming around Regina's neck.

"Never mind that, did you get the trigger?" Regina asked.

"Yes" David responded, holding up the small bag.

"Good, then let's get going." Regina replied, before she headed back towards the elevator.

* * *

Regina locked up the trigger in the safe in her house, and walked back down the stairs.

"It is secure for now, they shouldn't come looking for anything in the dead woman's house." Regina replied.

"Well I should get back to Greg and Tamara, make sure I didn't miss anything while we were gone Hook said, he had already cleaned himself up, he didn't need to explain any injuries to Greg and Tamara.

"We'll be watching" David responded, as he held the door open for the pirate.

Hook nodded as he headed out the door.

* * *

An hour later Regina sat at her kitchen table, the mirror sitting in front of her. Henry was in his room and the Charmings had gone home, finally believing that it was safe to leave her.

_"And where have you been" Greg asked. _

_"Just out, why did I miss something?" Hook asked_

_"Out where?" Greg asked, not answering Hook's question._

_"I just wanted to pay my respects to Regina." Hook responded. _

_"Regina…I didn't realize that you and the Queen were so close." _

_"Her mother and I were friends for quite some time." Hook replied, but all Regina could see was the ground. _

_"Are you feeling guilt pirate?" _

_"She didn't deserve to die…she had a son." Hook responded. _

_"And I had a father, that monster got just what she deserved." Greg spit out. _

_"She's not a monster…she's a woman" Hook muttered under his breath just loud enough for Regina to hear it. _

_"Greg…news from the home office." Tamara said as she walked in. _

_"News about the beans?" Greg asked. _

_"Yes…and it is better than we expected." Tamara said. _

_"What do you mean?" _

_"You know how we have been traveling around, stopping magic where it has leaked into our world?" Tamara asked. _

_"Yes" _

_"Well…how would you like the chance to stop the source?"_


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! Here is the next chapter, the story is wrapping up. I just have a few more chapters (not sure on the exact amount), but I do have the very end written on some Engineering paper ready to be typed up. I may write a sequel or leave it open ended. But that is for another time. For now please enjoy Chapter 20 of Dynamite, and let me know what you think!**

* * *

_"How would you like the chance to stop the source" The sound of Tamara's voice from the mirror seemed to echo throughout Regina's mind. She felt the blood draining from her face, she wasn't entirely sure what it meant, but she knew that it couldn't be good._

_"What do you mean stop the source?" Hook asked. YES! Regina thought; find out answers, she needed some sort of explanation._

_"Well as we expected the beans are a portal, but the Home Office was able to give us some more information about them than that…they were able to pin point exactly where they go. They all lead lands to which magic is native, lands which we know have created the leaks into our world in the past. There is the Enchanted Forest of course, but also Neverland, Wonderland, Narnia, Middle Earth, Oz, you name it they are all there. And even the beans that don't seem to have the same magical qualities as the others because they don't have the same shimmer are also magical, they will create portals into this world from the other worlds."_

_"We could go to all of them." Greg said, a mad look appearing on his face, a mix of joy and rage._

_"Yes we can go to them…destroy the magic, that way we don't have to keep cleaning up the leaks we can dry out the source." Tamara explained._

_This was worse than anything that Regina could have imagined, every land was in jeopardy. A culture stood in the brink, and all because of two mad people on a mission. Two people and apparently a place called the home office._

_"Wait…one mission at the time. We have Storybrooke to deal with first, did the home office have anything to say about that?" Greg asked._

_"Yes they did…I was getting to that. They said that because this town was created by a curse there should be a way to undo it. A device or a person who could undo everything that this curse created, it would destroy this town, wipe it off the map." Tamara explained._

_"A device or a person…you don't think it was Regina herself do you?" Greg asked._

_"Well she is dead…if she was the secret to undoing all of this her death would have been a catalyst but nothing happened…other than Hook turning into a sap. I think it must be an object…Hook is it possible that that is what Regina and you were headed to get in the library?" Tamara asked, turning and looking at Hook. She looked right into his eyes, trying to make sure that he wasn't lying to her, and through the mirror Regina felt Tamara was staring right into her as well, and she didn't like the way it made her feel._

_"It very well could be…she did use language such as undo." Hook said._

_"That must be it…any idea what is down there?" Tamara asked._

_"All she said is that it was very well guarded." As he said this he felt his temple pound slightly from where Maleficent had thrown him into a wall earlier that day. "She didn't make the decision to go down their lightly, I'm assuming it won't be a walk in the park." Hook responded._

_"She didn't go down there at all remember…she had a change of heart, you aren't going to have one too are you pirate?" Tamara asked._

_"No, of course not, my wishes are the same as they always have been; the death of the crocodile."_

_"And his death will come" Greg said, "but first lets go grab that device and destroy this town." Greg finished before walking towards the door._

_"Greg, not so fast, it is late, we are tired. And I don't want to go into a dangerous situation unprepared. Let's get some rest we will head there first thing in the morning." Tamara said._

_Greg looked back at her, obviously not happy with this new part of the plan but realizing that she was right it they wanted to be successful._

_"You're right…let's get some rest. Hook, I will see you outside the library at sunrise." Greg asked. Hook bowed his head slightly before taking his leave._

* * *

Regina had unlocked the door, knowing that Hook would be coming over after his most recent conversation with Greg and Tamara. The Charmings would be here soon as well, she had called them, they were getting dressed and were headed over.

The door swung open as Hook walked in.

"Did you hear?" Hook said, sounding almost has shaken up by the bomb that Greg and Tamara had dropped as Regina was.

"Yes, they are moving on the trigger in the morning, I have called the others, they are on their way." Regina responded.

"No…I meant the business with the beans. They don't plan to stop with Storybrooke Regina" Hook said.

"Yes I heard about that too…and we will just have to stop them before they get to that."

"We need to be planning an attack, even if we stop Greg and Tamara there are others." Hook said.

"One plan at a time Hook, we save Storybrooke and then we can consider the larger stages."

"But…"Hook said.

"One stage at a time" Regina repeated, walking over to Hook and placing her hand on his shoulder. She looked up into his eyes and saw something akin to fear.

"You're afraid…I thought you only cared about the death of Rumplestiltskin."

"What can I say…I am a complex man." Hook said.

Regina gave him a smile and heard the door opening and turned the Hook once more whispering, "the business at hand is the trigger…we discuss nothing else." She dropped her hand from where it still lay on his shoulder. Hook looked up at her confused, the group had been working together so well this past week and now all of a sudden she wanted to keep secrets.

"They are moving on the trigger?" David asked, speaking first.

"Yes" Hook replied, "I am to meet them at the library at sunrise." Hook responded.

"So it is time to save Storybrooke!" Henry said excitedly. Regina smiled at him, glad to see her son but also worried that he was here. She knew that Greg and Tamara were dangerous and she didn't want anything happening to her son.

"Yes Henry." Regina replied.

"So we will be waiting for them, at the bottom of the elevator. They will think they are going in the right direction and boom there we are to stop them." Henry suggested.

"It is not a bad plan kid." Hook responded smiling.

"And it probably won't hurt them seeing a ghost" Emma replied.

"Yes" Regina replied with a shrug. All of a sudden noticing that they hadn't really made a plan before this; they had planned on gathering information, and then stopping Greg and Tamara, but they hadn't discussed how. Would they have to die, who among them was waiting to kill.

"We are all going?" Mary Margaret replied, "I mean, I think that would be best."

Regina looked around, "it is going to be dangerous."

"We know, but it is worth it Regina. Plus together what's the worst they could do?" Mary Margaret replied.

"Kill one of us…all of us." Regina answered.

"If we don't they destroy the town." David responded.

"I know…I am not saying we don't go through with the plan, I am just saying it is important everyone understands the risks."

"We do." Mary Margaret replied confidently.

"So when do we leave? Sunrise is only a few hours away, do we get weapons?" Henry asked.

"Henry…it isn't safe for you." Regina said.

"I'm not a little kid anymore." Henry retorted.

"I know Henry…but if anything bad happened to you I couldn't..." Regina started before trailing off. "You can be backup I think that is the best way for you to help. If you were down there with us, I couldn't concentrate; we wouldn't be at our strongest." Regina said.

"Your Mom is right kid." Emma said, "plus backup is always more fun, they get to watch the action."

"You can have the mirror, watch everything that is happening, you can be hiding behind some of the rows of books. Message us when Greg and Tamara are coming that way we can really be ready." Regina said.

"But what is they see him in the library on their way in?" Emma asked.

"They won't, I will be with them, I will know Henry is there, and make sure that Greg and Tamara don't."

"Well it sounds like we've got our plan." Emma said.

"Operation Save Storybrooke is a go." Henry replied.


	21. Chapter 21

Hey. Here is the final battle. After this there is either going to be one more longer chapter or two more normal length ones. I want to get this story wrapped up before the show comes back. But anyways, here is this chapter. I might post another one later tonight/very early this morning.

Enjoy! And as always reviews are appreciated.

* * *

The static of the walkie talkie echoed throughout the caves before Henry's voice crackled through, "The wasps and the pirate are on the move, over"

"Roger that, over" Emma responded back.

Regina held out her hand, gesturing that she had something to say to her son as well, Emma handed it over.

"Henry can you see us okay?" Regina asked.

There was silence on the other line, Emma looked over to her and whispered, "you have to say over."

Regina pushed down the button on the walkie talkie and replied again, "over."

"Visual is good, operation Save Storybrooke is a go, over." Henry replied

Regina smiled and handed the walkie back to Emma; the first part of the plan was over. They were on their way down, Henry was safe, and well entertained with the mirror and his code names. She knew that it was a risk allowing him to participate at all, but she also knew he would resent her if she tried to lock him up in his room, and she also knew he was a smart kid. He would have most likely found a way to escape and run in onto whatever was about to commence. And that was far more dangerous that sitting behind a stack of books with a walkie talkie and a mirror.

"Well places everyone" Regina said, "they are on their way."

The group lined up just a few feet back from here the tunnel that the elevator let out in opened up into the large cavern that once held the trigger.

Footsteps could soon be heard, every sound seemed to reverberate off of the stones, only heightening the senses more.

Greg stepped out first, he almost seemed like he was running anxious to get this job done, and as Regina knew move on to destroying all of magic. Upon seeing the group the pair stopped, as their eyes locked on Regina, their faces dropped. They looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"Hello Greg, Tamara, lovely to see you too again." Regina said.

"You are alive?" Greg said.

"Yes. Don't you remember I told you, you have no idea who you are dealing with."

"But Hook you…" Greg started.

"What can I say, never trust a pirate." Hook responded as he walked over to the group, standing by Regina.

"So this is the team you choose?" Tamara asked.

"Yes it is" Hook replied.

"Well I guess we are just one member down. That doesn't change anything. We still have a job to do, the first being finishing my last one." Greg said as he reached for his belt and pulled out his gun, pointing it at Regina.

Regina simply laughed and waved her hand and sent the gun flying in the opposite direction. It fell down the drop off and into the cavern.

Greg looked back up at Regina, a look of madness in his eyes. He clenched his fist and charged at Regina, he didn't need a gun to do damage. Hook stepped forward, pushing Regina gently behind him just as Greg reached them and found himself running into the Captain's namesake Hook.

He stumbled back clutching at his chest as he collapsed to the ground. He coughed, blood trickling down his face.

"We're not the only ones." He sputtered out. "You can stop the two of us, but we are not the only ones. In the end you will lose." He coughed again before his head fell against the rock floor and his chest stopped rising.

Tamara blinked and looked up to the group.

"He is right you know. Regina you said you had no idea who you are dealing with, but I think you will find it is the other way around." Tamara said.

Regina just shook her head, for how long would these two teams have to swap insults.

"Well you are not getting Storybrooke." David said.

"Whatever you say" Tamara replied, raising her arm and throwing a small blade. Regina blinked, she had no idea where it had come from, she did have to give Tamara credit, she was good.

Mary Margaret's scream focused her attention again as she looked over and saw the woman clenching her shoulder and stumbling against David. Mary Margaret gritted her teeth, trying to maintain her strength. David had a look of anger and concern on his face as he looked back up at Tamara, grabbing his gun and pointing it at the woman.

"Are you going to kill me Prince Charming?" Tamara taunted.

David's arm trembled a little bit.

"David…don't" Mary Margaret said through her teeth.

"David, don't" Mary Margaret repeated as he pushed David's arm down.

"So if Prince Charming isn't going to kill me who is it going to be…or will I just have to kill you all instead, maybe I can start with the little boy hiding up stairs?" Tamara asked.

"Yes…I saw him. I thought I would deal with him on the way up." Tamara said.

"You stay away from my son" Emma said, stepping closer to Tamara, considering killing the woman herself.

Regina raised her hand and sent a haze of smoke towards Tamara. It paralyzed the woman when it reached her, as if her movement was prevented by thin tendrils of magic and wound all around her.

"Ah yes magic…the coward's way out." Tamara said, "it really is a shame your death didn't stick."

Regina walked up to the woman and waved her hand in front of her face. Her eyes shimmered for a moment before they closed and she fell to the ground. The tendrils of magic that restrained her disappeared.

"Did you…did you kill her?" Emma asked.

"No, I reset her, I thought it was the most humane way to, solve our problem." Regina replied.

"What do you mean, reset, did you make her into a different person?" David asked.

"She is now the person she would have been if she never went down the path of wanting to stop magic. I can send her away, to wherever she would have been. She will live her life, be safe from us, and us from her." Regina explained.

"Sounds good to me." Emma responded.

"I'm glad you agree. Well everyone say goodbye to Tamara." Regina said before she waved her hand again and Tamara's body disappeared.

"So it is all over?" Emma asked.

"Yes" Regina replied, "Storybrooke is safe, congratulations."

She looked over to Mary Margaret and saw the woman looking even paler than usual, and made her way over carefully, not wanting to spook her.

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked.

"Not so great to be honest." Mary Margaret replied.

"Let me help you."

Mary Margaret looked up at her step mother, the woman who for so long wanted to kill her, and nodded. Regina had changed and it was time to trust her again, not only help her, but also allow her to help them.

David looked up at Regina suspiciously.

Regina grabbed the blade and carefully pulled it out Mary Margaret's shoulder as Mary Margaret winced and squeezed David's hand.

Regina hovered her hand over Mary Margaret's wound, allowing magic to seep from her to the injured woman, healing her. The look of pain on Mary Margaret's face changed to one of comfort, and finally a smile.

"Thank you Regina." Mary Margaret said.

Regina simply nodded before stepping back, "there is just one more thing that I need to take care of."

"Maleficent" Regina called. The ghostly figure of the once great queen appeared before her.

"You want to be free of this place?" Regina asked.

"Yes" Maleficent replied."

"Thank you for your friendship, I am sorry that it came to this." Regina said, trying to mask her emotions.

"Goodbye Regina" Maleficent said. Regina stepped over the wall of rock and placed her hand on it. Green light could be seen flowing from the rock into Regina as she shook slightly, before removing her hand.

"What was that?" Hook asked.

"The protection spell that I placed down here, the spell that kept Maleficent in her state. There is nothing worth protecting anymore, it is time to undo what is not necessary and free those who those things trap." Regina stated.

"You mean like the bubble around Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yes. But that can be a discussion for the future, for now let's get out of here. I never liked this place." Regina stated.

The group didn't need any more encouragement to head to the elevator and get out of here.

"Henry!" Regina called when she got to the top of the stairs, but she didn't hear a response.

"Henry" she called again, making her way over to where she knew Henry had been hiding. She saw him sitting up against the wall, his knees pulled up to his chest; the mirror in one of his hands and tears falling down his face. Regina made her way over to him and knelt next to him, placing his arms on his shoulders.

"It is okay, Henry, it is over. Storybrooke is safe." Regina said.

Henry leaned over and fell into Regina's arms. She hugged him, held onto her son and looked up at the rest of the group who had made their way around to see what has happening.

"It is okay" Regina said, "he is safe, Storybrooke is safe."


	22. Chapter 22

And so this story comes to an end. If there is interest I will write I sequel.

To those who have stuck with this to the end I thank you. I also you like to thank all of those you have been reviewing. I love hearing what you all think, and would especially love to hear what you think of how this all wrapped up, be it good or bad.

* * *

Regina heard a knock at her door and walked over to open it and found Hook standing outside.

"Hello Regina." He said.

"Captain" Regina replied, stepping back from the door allowing Hook to enter.

"So your town is safe."

"Yes it is, thankfully."

"Now what about the other threat, I know Storybrooke is special to you and that was your priority, but if you intend on abandoning where you came from I will not stand for it. I will go and talk to that Prince, even though he seems to enjoy punching me in the face, I think he would care enough to do something, and even if he doesn't I will go. I will stop them." Hook said rather quickly.

"You won't tell them." Regina replied solemnly as she shook her head.

"And why not, you don't tell me what to do? And as much as some people believe I am not heartless unlike some others and I will not let every magical land be destroyed" Hook responded passionately.

"You think I'm heartless…my son just saw someone die today. He is eleven and he saw death one moment someone was breathing and then the next they weren't, someone so young shouldn't have to deal with that." Regina said angrily.

"Regina, we all have to face reality at some point." Hook replied.

"All that boy, has ever cared about is heroes, and he was a hero today, he helped save this town, but he also saw that things come with a price, someone always loses and that loss isn't pretty."

"So because your son can't handle seeing death you are going to just sit pretty in Storybrooke and allow other realms to fall?" Hook questioned.

"I never said that Hook." Regina responded shaking her head.

"Well then what did you mean?" Hook asked.

"I mean it isn't fair to go off running to the Charmings. I took everything from them and they recently got it back. Everything that is happening is my fault…so I will deal with it. Not them. And as far as Henry…ignorance is bliss and it is safety as well, and I want nothing more than for my son to be both happy and safe." Regina replied.

"So you plan doing this on your own then?" Hook replied, "that is what all the secrecy was for?"

"Yes" Regina replied.

"You don't have to go alone you know?" Hook responded.

"Hook" Regina said, shaking her head.

"Why is it because I am an untrustworthy snake? Those were your words weren't they?" Hook asked.

"You…_were_ an untrustworthy snake, the future is questionable, it might even have some potential."

"So…defenders of magic?" Hook asked.

"I'm not quite sure I'd go that far." Regina responded.

"Well I know where Greg and Tamara left the beans I can go and grab them and then we can be off. I already sent a message to the Home Office that Storybrooke was destroyed, and I know where the first attack on magic is planned so we know where to start." Hook said as he headed towards the door.

"Hook…I just got everything back. I have every intention of stopping this but…"

"Regina you know if you don't leave now you never will. And within a day it could be too late. The plans for attacks on all the magical lands are being made as we speak."

"I know…" Regina said her voice trailing off.

"This is our chance to finally do the right thing. Maybe I can forget about killing the crocodile if I can focus on something else, and this seems like a good thing to focus on." Hook replied.

Regina knew that Hook was right. She nodded, "I need two hours, come back and then we can leave." Regina replied.

Hook gave her a smile, not a flirtatious one, but a genuine smile, and then headed out the door.

Regina looked around her mansion, the one she and her curse had built; the one that she would soon be saying goodbye to. She knew that there could not be goodbyes to the people in her life, it would require an explanation for her departure. So, she walked over to her desk and pulled out her stationary and sat down. She may not be able to say goodbyes in person, but she still had things to say.

_David, _

_It seems you are getting your wish as I will be leaving you for some time. A greater danger is present than the one that we just faced in saving Storybrooke. The same organization that Greg and Tamara were a part of have knowledge of all the magical lands, and thanks to the beans that they stole, they have a way to get there. They want to dry up the well, stop magic all together. Perhaps you think this is a good idea, but I think it is a problem that I have to solve, it is after all my fault. But Storybrooke is safe, and so are its residents. I hope that you take good care of them. _

_You knew me first as the Evil Queen, and I understand that. But I was once so much more and I can be so much more. We worked together to save the town together, I hope that counts for something. I don't know when I will be back, I hope it won't be too long. David, I do not really care if you think of me as the Evil Queen or Regina, but I want you to know one thing. I accept responsibly for what I have done and I am trying to solve the consequences they caused. So when you are with Henry, and I do hope you spent time with him, a boy needs a male influence in his life. I ask that you think of me as Regina around him, and do not share your negative feelings about me with him. Because I am his mother and I love him more than anything and I hope that is how he remembers me well. _

_Before I leave I will take down the enchantment that causes people to lose their identity upon leaving Storybrooke, although the protection spell will remain. Take care of the town. Love Henry. _

_Sincerely,  
Regina_

_Mary Margaret, _

_It has become necessary that I leave this place, there are more dangers that need to be faced, dangers that came about because of me. I have described the matter to David. I have left you all out of it because it is my wish that you be a family. I took much from you and for that I am sorry, I hope that you are able to build something here in Storybrooke that you are proud of. I do forgive you for Daniel, and don't hold it against you and I hope you don't blame yourself. As for the matter with my mother, I think it would be fair to say that we have both made mistakes in our lives. Your heart is not destined to be dark because of the decision that you made. You can let light in and I have confidence that you will, it was always something that you were good at. _

_As for the bad decisions that I had made, I do regret them. Ever since the ordeal with Greg and Tamara in the cannery I have felt them weighing down on me more. I am responsible for many bad things, and now it is my responsibility to go and fix them. _

_I hope to return, but until I do I hope that you take care of the town, and look after Henry. He was always fond of you. _

_Fondly, _

_Regina_

_Emma, _

_I never thanked you for Henry. He was the greatest gift that I ever received and it is not without great thought that I make the decision to leave. But there are things in my past that must be addressed. Storybrooke is safe, but other places are not, and it is all my fault and so it is time to put that right. _

_You gave birth to Henry and you gave him to me. And he is a gift. I hope that you remember that while I am gone. Love him well, he deserves the world. _

_Regina_

She sealed the letters in envelopes and neatly wrote each of the recipient's names on them, and then looked up at the clock, somehow nearly an hour had passed and she still had her most important letter to write. She took out one more piece of stationary and wrote:

_Dear Henry, _

_Congratulations, you are a hero, what you always wanted to be, you have helped save Storybrooke. But to tell you the truth, I always thought you were a hero. I am so proud of you my son, just as I have always been. The events recently have made me think about the past, and the events that lead us here. My casting the curse and you breaking, one would have thought that is where the story ends but it is never that simple is it? I think back to when you ran away to Boston and returned with Emma. Her appearance threatened me and my role as your mother. I thought that as long as she was in your life you could never truly be mine. But I have realized something Henry. You are not mine, and you are not Emma's, you are your own person. And if you only learn one thing from me I wish that to be it. _

_And just as you are your own person Henry, so am I mine. It is true we are shaped by the people around us, but the actions we make are made by us. _

_I am responsible for what I have done in the past, just as I am responsible for what I do in the future. You have always wanted me to be a hero Henry and for the majority of your life I have failed you in that. I hope that you have begun to see me differently. But the truth is that although Storybrooke is safe, other places with magic are not. My actions in the past lead Greg and Tamara to Storybrooke and now to more potential danger; it is my responsibility to fix it Henry. _

_I told you once that I would never leave you, and I do not make this decision lightly. _

_I wish more than anything to see you again my son. Until then just know that I love you. _

_Love, _

_Mom_


End file.
